«i^ 


^ 


The  Manual  of  Equitation 


of 


The  French  Army 


for 


,', 


1912 


^ 


.^■^^jd 


JOHNA.SEAVERNS 

o 


The  Manual  of  Equitation 

of 

The  French  Army 

for 

1912 

Translated  at 
The  Cavalry  School 

!  E»  9.  CANTRY 

KIO  CAVALRY 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Boston  Library  Consortium  IVIember  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/manualofequitati1912fran 


FOREWORD 

Were  there  no  sound  theory  of  horsemanship  based  upon 
simple  practical  principles,  mounted  instruction  of  troops 
could  not  be  progressive  and  systematic,  and  young  officers 
would  not  be  sufficiently  equipped  to  accomplish  their  tasks  as 
instructors. 

The  Manual  of  Equitation  and  Horse  Training  is  in- 
tended to  furnish  this  much  needed  information. 

It  contains,  however,  no  innovations,  but  merely  sums  up  the 
teachings  of  the  old  Masters,  such  as,  Pluvinel,  de  la  Guerin- 
iere,  Comte  d'Aure,  Boucher,  Generals  L'Hotte,  Faverot  de 
Kubrech,  de  Baeuchesne  and  Jules  de  Benoist,  and  applies  to 
horse  training,  the  known  laws  of  the  association  of  sensations, 
as  well  as  the  traditional  principles  of  The  Cavalry  School. 

While  paying  due  respect  to  the  fundamental  rules  of  class- 
ical equitation,  everything  that  is  no  longer  adapted  to  present 
day  conditions  in  the  employment  of  the  horse  must  be  elimin- 
ated, and  only  that  which  is  simple  and  practical  retained. 

The  Manual  comprises  three  principal  parts : 

1.  The  Education  of  the  Rider. 

2.  The  Education  of  the  Horse. 

3.  The  Use  of  the  Trained  Horse. 

Part  /  treats  of  the  instruction  of  the  rider  according  to 
his  grade  in  the  military  system.  It  is  necessary  to  simplify 
the  instruction  of  the  recruit  in  order  to  hasten  his  entry  into 
ranks  and  at  the  same  time,  to  push  the  training  of  the  horse 
as  far  as  possible.  These  opposing  considerations  have  made 
it  necessary  to  modify  former  methods. 

The  principles  remaining  always  the  same,  instruction 
should  henceforth  be  modified  according  to  the  ability  and  re- 
quirements of  the  different  classes  of  pupils,  i.e.,  young 
soldiers,  reenlisted  men,  noncommissioned  officers  who  are  to 
train  remounts,  or  the  officers  charged  with  instruction.  The 
instruction  is  classified  as,  Elementarij,  Secondary  and  Su- 
perior equitation,  according  to  the  classes  to  which  addressed. 


11 

In  order  to  abridge  this  manual,  it  has  seemed  best  not  to 
repeat  in  Chapter  I,  which  is  devoted  to  Elementary  Equita- 
tion, the  lessons  prescribed  for  recruits  which  are  set  forth  in 
Part  II  of  the  Drill  Regulations.  But  the  Board  has  tried  to 
indicate  those  things  which  should  influence  the  instructor  in 
the  course  of  his  daily  lessons. 

Secondary  Equitation  treats  of  the  management  of  the 
horse  (conduite  du  cheval)  ;  it  includes  a  detailed  study  of  the 
natural  aids,  with  a  brief  reference  to  the  artificial  aids. 

This  chapter  has  been  drawn  up  according  to  the  principles 
of  the  School  of  Versailles,  transmitted  to  The  Cavalry  School 
by  Comte  d'Aure,  whose  "course  in  equitation"  (cours  d'equi- 
tation)  approved  by  War  Department  regulations  dated  April 
9,  1853,  sets  forth  the  means  by  which  a  rider  may  overcome 
or  avoid  the  difficulties  which  arise  from  the  use  of  the  horse. 

Chapter  III  is  devoted  to  Superior  Equitation,  and  gives 
only  a  general  view  of  the  purpose  and  means  employed.  The 
genius  of  high  schooling  (the  haute  ecole)  is  the  genius  of  art 
and  does  not  lend  itself  to  words. 

Part  II  treats  of  the  education  of  the  horse.  It  consists  of 
two  divisions,  in  which  are  set  forth  the  best  methods  for  con- 
ditioning and  breaking  (debourrage)  the  young  horse,  and  the 
rules  which  govern  his  training  (dressage) . 

It  studies  the  mental  characteristics  of  the  horse,  and  the 
principles  that  may  serve  in  the  establishment  of  an  equestrian 
language  which  is  indispensable  for  the  accord  of  rider  and 
mount;  and  it  gives  the  g;y^mnastic  exercises  which  enable  the 
horse  to  respond  to  the  requirements  of  man. 

A  table  sets  forth  the  several  phases  of  this  education  and 
the  work  which  corresponds  to  each  phase.  This  table  is 
merely  a  guide  and  should  be  considered  only  as  a  type  of 
systematic  progressive  training. 

Part  III  assumes  both  man  and  horse  to  be  trained  and  lays 
down  the  necessary  rules  for  the  use  of  the  horse  out  of  doors 
under  normal  conditions  and  in  combat.  The  principles  here 
given  may  serve  as  a  basis  for  the  mounted  instruction  given 


Ill 

to  noncommissioned  officers  and  to  former  soldiers  (on 
mobilization) . 

The  manual  does  not  pretend  to  solve  all  the  problems  which 
may  arise;  long  practice  with  the  horse  alone  is  capable  of 
that.  Its  object  is  only  to  put  current  ideas  in  order  and  to 
facilitate  the  tasks  of  the  instructors  to  whom  it  is  exclusively 
addressed. 

Officers  may  draw  from  it  the  appropriate  principles  to 
impart  to  those  under  their  command.  But  they  alone,  the 
officers,  be  it  understood,  must  be  qualified  with  the  knowledge 
and  ability  to  demonstrate  and  explain  these  principles. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Page 

P'oreword   i 

General  principles — Object  and  divisions   ix 

PART  I— EDUCATION  OF  THE  RIDER 
Chapter  I.   Elementary  Equitation: 

A.  School  of  the  Trooper 1 

B.  Role  of  the  Instructor  in  the  School  of  the  Trooper 1 

Qualities  of  the  Instructor    J- 

Objectives    2 

Establishing  the  confidence  of  the  rider 2 

Means  of  holding  on   2 

(a)  The  seat    3 

(b)  The  stirrups    3 

Special  gymnastics  for  the  rider 4 

Mounted  position   5 

Suppling  exercises 6 

Chapter  II.    Secondary  Equitation: 

The  management  of  the  horse    9 

Par.  I.    Study  of  the  aids : 

Aptitudes    9 

Natural    aids    10 

Action  of  the  legs 10 

Action  of  the  reins   11 

Accord  of  the  aids 15 

Par.  II.    Mastery  of  the  aids 26 

Par.  III.    Use  of  the  aids  28 

Tact  of  the  hand , 29 

Chapter  III.    Superior  Equitation  (education  of  the  officer) 31 

PART  II.— EDUCATION  OF  THE  HORSE 
Chapter  I.   The  Riding  Horse: 

Qualities  of  the  riding  horse   32 

The  model    34 

Quality    36 

The  breeding    36 

Relation  between  breeding  and  training   „ 36 

Chapter  II.    Generalities  : 

Influence  and  responsibility  of  the  commanding  officer 37 

Influence  and  the  responsibility  of  the  troop  commander 38 

Qualities  of  the  instructor  and  the  trainers 38 

Care  given  on  arrival  in  the  regiment 39 

Object  of  the  education  of  the  young  horse 39 

Divisions — 

Breaking    41 

Training  41 

General  rules   42 

Circumstances  which  may  influence  the  duration  of  the 

education  of  the  young  horse 42 


VI 

Pftyn 
Chapter  III.    Breaking: 
Objects  in  breaking — 

Phases    43 

Importance  of  work   44 

Work  not  mounted 44 

Work  on  the  longe 44 

Accustoming  to  the  saddle 47 

Mounting  lessons    48 

Training  to  bear  the  saber 49 

Mounted  work 49 

Elementary  lessons  in  the  aids 50 

To  move  forward   50 

Halting    51 

Turning    52 

Backing    53 

First  lessons  at  the  gallop   53 

Preliminary  conditioning   54 

Organization  of  sections :     Leaders 55 

Value  of  the  various  gaits 55 

Defenses  of  the  young  horse   56 

Use  of  the  double  bridle 57 

Preparation  of  the  colt  for  his   ultimate   use   in   case  of 

mobilization     57 

Hygiene    58 

Shedding  and  the  period  on  grass  58 

Choice  of  ground   58 

Individual    work    59 

Harness    59 

First  instruction  over  obstacles   59 

Leading    60 

On  the  longe 60 

At   liberty    61 

Mounted     61 

Chapter  IV.    Training: 

General    63 

Principle  factors  in  training    64 

The  rider 64 

The   work    64 

Time   65 

Psychology  of  training,  influence  of  character  and 

conformation     65 

Limit  of  training 66 

Basis  of  an  equestrian  language   66 

Principles  of  movement   69 

Impulsion     69 

Balance    70 

Locomotion     72 


Vll 

Fafjc 

Role  and  position  of  the  head  in  movement 72 

Role  and  position  of  the  neck 73 

The  ramener 74 

Gymnastics  of  the  young  horse 75 

Resistance    75 

To  obtain  engagement  of  the  hind  quarters  and  mobility 

of  the  haunches   76 

Extending  and  collecting  the  gaits   77 

The  halt.    The  half  halt  78 

False  gallop   80 

Backing    80 

Suppling  of  the  spinal  column 81 

To  obtain  free  play  of  the  shoulders 82 

To  obtain  suppleness  of  the  jaw 83 

Two  tracks  and  shoulder-in 85 

The  extended  trot 87 

Obtaining  balance   88 

Remarks  on  the  gaits  88 

The  gallop  depart 91 

Conditioning    95 

Jumping,  the  horse  mounted 96 

PART  III.— APPLICATION  OF  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  EQUITATION 
AND  HORSE  TRAINING  TO  THE  USE  OF  THE  HORSE 

Chapter  I.    Use  of  the  Horse: 

The  horse  straight 99 

To  change  the  gait  and  in  a  given  gait  to  change  speed 100 

To  maintain  a  given  gait  and  a  given  rate 101 

Change  of  direction 102 

Galloping  a  horse    105 

Cross  country  and  over  obstacles 106 

Individual  combat   108 

Chapter  II.    Defense  of  the  Riding  Horse: 

Ignorant  horses    109 

Horses  that  are  afraid    109 

Horses  with  bad  conformation   110 

Stubborn   horses    110 

Horses  that  rear 110 

Horses  that  kick   HO 

Horses  that  fight  the  hand   HI 

Horses  that  lower  the  head  against  the  chest Ill 

Horses  that  star  gaze   HI 

Excitable  horses :     Horses  that  jig   112 

Horses  that  pull    112 

Horses  that  open  the  jaw  or  pass  the  tongue  over  the  bit 113 

Table  showing  the  successive  phases  in  the  education  of  the  young 

horse    113 


IX 


MANUAL  OF  EQUITATION  AND  HORSE  TRAINING 


GENERAL  PRINCIPLES 

Object  and  Divisions.  The  object  of  military  equitation  is 
to  produce  troopers  skillful  in  the  management  of  their  horses 
under  all  circumstances  and  over  any  country. 

Mounted  instruction  therefore  comprises  the  practice  of 
approved  methods  for  instructing  recruits;  the  study  and  use 
of  the  indispensable  principles  for  mounted  instruction  of  old 
soldiers  and  noncommissioned  officers;  finally  the  application 
of  approved  rules  in  the  training  of  remounts. 

The  study  of  military  equitation  is  divided  into  three  parts : 

1.  The  education  of  the  rider. 

2.  The  education  of  the  young  horse. 

3.  The  application  of  the  principles  of  equitation  and 

horse  training  to  the  use  of  the  horse. 
Part  I.  Education  of  the  Rider.  The  education  of  the 
rider  assumes  a  trained  horse.  This  part  of  the  instruction 
comprises  that  which  is  particularly  applicable  to  the  man ;  it 
describes  the  qualities  of  the  instructor  and  the  methods  to  be 
followed  to  develop  the  rider's  aptitude.  It  aims  to  establish 
the  moral  quality  of  confidence,  and  the  physical  quality  of 
muscular  suppleness.  It  teaches  the  best  means  for  holding 
on,  and  prescribes  the  principles  applying  to  the  position  of 
the  rider,  as  well  as  those  for  the  guidance  and  use  of  the 
horse. 

The  achievement  of  the  above  qualities,  necessary  to  the 
educated  rider,  requires  fixed  principles  and  much  practice. 
The  instruction,  however,  can  not  be  the  same  for  all  grades 
of  the  military  service. 

Elementary  Equitation,  is  that  given  to  recruits,  and  its 
phases  are  contained  in  The  School  of  the  Trooper,  Mounted ;  it 
comprises  only  that  which  is  absolutely  essential  to  the  trooper 
in  ranks. 

Secondary  Equitation,  forms  the  principle  object  of  this 


manual.  It  is  intended  for  the  use  of  instructors,  who  can 
draw  from  it  the  ideas  to  impart  to  noncommissioned  officers 
and  selected  troopers  in  the  course  of  their  instruction. 

Instruction  in  Superior  Equitation  is  more  especially  re- 
served for  officers  who,  besides  being  skillful  and  bold  riders, 
should  endeavor  to  acquire  all  the  fiyiesse  of  the  art.  It  is  the 
object  of  the  riding  instruction  given  at  The  Cavalry  School. 

These  several  teachings  differ  from  each  other  only  in  their 
extent  and  in  the  indication  of  methods,  which  are  more  or  less 
elementary  or  scientific  according  to  the  ability  of  the  riders 
to  whom  they  are  addressed ;  they  are  all  based  upon  the  same 
principles,  however,  and  tend  toward  the  same  objective,  which 
is  to  insure  a  unity  of  doctrine  indispensable  to  the  proper  use 
and  progress  of  the  Cavalry. 

Part  II.  The  Education  of  the  Horse.  The  education  of 
the  horse  assumes,  on  the  other  hand,  a  trained  rider;  it  em- 
braces the  study  of  everything  which  concerns  the  horse.  It 
considers  his  mental  constitution,  and  the  means  for  establish- 
ing his  confidence ;  his  temperament,  his  conditioning,  and  then 
the  laws  of  balance  and  animal  locomotion  from  which  are 
derived  the  actual  principles  of  training. 

Part  III.  Application  of  the  Principles  of  Equitation 
AND  Horse  Training  to  the  Use  of  the  Horse.  This  part 
considers  the  trained  rider  mounted  on  the  trained  horse  and 
lays  down  rules  for  use  in  the  daily  work. 

Observation.  There  is  nothing  fixed  in  these  divisions;  in 
practice  they  overlap  more  or  less.  Nevertheless,  in  assigning 
a  place  to  ideas  and  a  place  to  facts,  this  division  tends  toward 
the  clarity  necessary  in  the  extensive  domain  of  equitation ;  it 
directs  the  efforts  of  the  instructor  or  rider  according  to  the 
location  of  faults — ^the  ignorance  or  awkwardness  of  the  man 
or  the  weakness  or  bad  will  of  the  horse. 


PART  I 

EDUCATION   OF   THE   RIDER 

Chapter  I 
ELEMENTARY  EQUITATION 

A 

SCHOOL  OF  THE  TROOPER 
(See  French  Cavalry  Drill  Regulations,  Pt.  I,  Art.  2.) 

B 

ROLE  OF  THE  INSTRUCTOR  IN  THE  SCHOOL  OF  THE  TROOPER 

Qualities  of  the  Instructor.  The  instructor  is  the 
principle  agent  in  riding  instruction.  He  should  be  a  horse- 
man; a  man  of  character  and  force;  he  should  always  be  an 
example  of  propriety,  dignity,  accuracy  and  determination. 

He  establishes  a  logical  progression  conforming  to  the  spirit 
of  the  Drill  Regulations;  he  assures  the  regular  sequence  of 
steps  in  the  course,  he  keeps  his  pupils  alert  by  the  variety  of 
his  instruction :  and  each  day  brings  out  a  new  but  contem- 
plated element. 

The  explanations  which  he  gives  while  mounted  are  reduced 
to  strict  necessity.  They  are  formulated  with  precision  and 
pronounced  in  such  a  manner  and  place  that  every  rider  may 
hear  them.  They  are  never  given  during  fast  gaits.  On  the 
other  hand,  no  individual  fault  in  the  rider's  position  or  his 
m.anagement  of  the  horse  should  be  allowed  to  pass  without 
correction;  it  is  only  by  incessant  criticism  of  the  same  error 
that  a  faulty  habit  may  be  corrected. 

To  sum  up,  the  instructor  analyses  each  of  the  difficulties 
into  as  many  elements  as  is  necessary  in  order  for  them  to  be 
overcome.  He  conducts  the  work  methodically,  increasing  his 
requirements  gradually. 

He  keeps  in  mind  that  progress  does  not  come  from  the 


— 2— 

movement  itself,  but  from  the  manner  in  which  it  is  executed. 

These  prescriptions,  taken  together,  form  the  general 
scheme  (esprit  de  methode)  of  instruction,  but  not  the  soul 
which  depends  upon  the  personality  of  the  instructor. 

The  instructor  should,  through  his  ingenuity  and  pride  in 
his  role,  discover  ideas  to  introduce  and  expressions  to  use 
which  will  strike  the  imagination,  amuse,  persuade,  draw  out, 
and  communicate  to  all  his  enthusiasm,  his  self-denial,  and  his 
faith. 

Objectives.  The  preparatory  work  described  in  regulations, 
v.'ith  appropriate  moderations,  involves  some  developments 
from  the  instructor's  point  of  view,  without  which  his  work 
v/ill  not  produce  the  desired  results. 

The  successive  objectives  in  this  first  part  of  the  instruction 
are:  To  give  confidence  to  the  rider;  to  give  him  means  for 
holding  on ;  to  lead  him  to  acquire  independence  in  the  use  of 
his  aids ;  to  give  him  the  proper  mounted  position. 

Establishing  the  Confidence  of  the  Rider.  The  mount- 
ed instruction  of  the  recruit  is  hindered  at  the  beginning  by  an 
unreasoning,  instinctive  revolt  of  his  nervous  and  muscular 
systems  which  leads  to  contraction.  This  is  overcome  by 
mounted  gymnastics  and  suppling  exercises,  by  having  the 
recruit  ride  by  the  side  of  an  older  man  who  leads  the  recruit's 
horse  by  the  longe,  and  by  out-of-door  work. 

The  particular  contractions  which  show  up  from  the  begin- 
ning of  individual  work  will  disappear  with  the  practice  of  the 
suppling  exercises  prescribed  in  the  School  of  the  Trooper. 

In  order  to  lose  none  of  their  useful  effects,  a  logical  order 
must  be  followed;  beginning  with  the  seat,  then  the  loins, 
shoulders,  arms  and  head;  movements  of  the  thighs  and  legs 
must  not  be  undertaken  until  ease  of  the  body  is  obtained. 

The  best  suppling,  however,  is  good  humor,  which  leads 
promptly  and  directly  to  confidence. 

Means  for  Holding  On.  As  soon  as  confidence  is  obtained, 
we  must  give  the  rider  means  for  holding  on,  in  order  to 
progress  with  his  instruction.  The  rider  is  maintained  in  his 
saddle  by  means  of  his  "seat"  and  the  stirrups. 


— 3— 

(a)  The  seat.  "Seat"  is  that  quality  which  permits  the 
rider  to  remain  master  of  his  equilibrium  under  all  circum- 
stances, whatever  may  be  the  reactions  of  the  horse. 

It  is  the  principle  quality  to  be  sought,  because  it  is  the 
basis  of  stability,  and  therefore  of  confidence,  and  is  prereq- 
uisite of  good  hands,  without  which  neither  management  nor 
training  is  possible, 

A  good  seat  results  from  a  general  decontraction,  particular- 
ly from  suppleness  of  the  loin.  The  road  to  it  is  opened  by 
appropriate  gymnastics;  it  is  acquired  only  after  a  sufficient 
amount  of  trotting  and  galloping  without  stirrups,  and  from 
riding  many  different  horses.  This  last  item  is  most  necessary 
to  put  the  rider  truly  with  his  horse.  Decontraction  requires 
long  practice;  and  in  seeking  too  much  in  the  beginning,  we 
risk  abrasions  and  fatigue — and  go  contrary  to  the  end  in 
view. 

(b)  The  stiy'rwps.  It  is  necessary,  then,  in  order  to  quickly 
give  confidence  to  recruits,  to  make  use  of  a  second  means  of 
security  which  will  permit  them  to  remain  mounted  longer  and 
to  progress  without  chafing  and  without  damage  to  the  mouths 
of  their  horse — the  stirrups. 

The  trot  without  stirrups  will  rarely  be  used  except  in  the 
riding  hall,  or  for  short  rides  out-of-doors  as  a  suppling  ex- 
ercise or  proof  of  decontraction.  The  periods  of  the  trot  will 
at  first  be  short  and  frequent,  then  lengthened  gradually,  to 
push  down  the  thighs  and  place  the  seat ;  all  of  the  riding-hall 
work,  including  jumping,  should  then  be  done  without  stirrups. 

Long  periods  of  work  out-of-doors,  instruction  in  the  use  of 
arms,  etc.,  should  be  done  with  stirrups. 

Routine  work,  long  sessions  out-of-doors,  marches  and  ma- 
neuvers, in  a  word — time — accomplishes  the  end  begun  with- 
out stirrups  in  the  preparatory  work,  and  gives  the  men  as 
good  a  seat  as  they  can  acquire  in  their  short  term  of  service. 

In  this  manner  the  recruits  are  prepared  for  the  second  part 
of  their  instruction,  the  management  of  the  horse  (la  conduite 
du  cheval). 


— 4- 


Special  Gymnastics  for  the  Rider.  The  management  of 
the  horse  depends  upon  the  independence  in  the  use  of  the  aids 
— the  basis  of  their  future  accord.  This  independence  is  the 
result  of  special  exercises  to  which  the  young  rider  should  be 
subjected  from  the  beginning  of  the  preparatory  work. 

The  instructor  endeavors  to  obtain: 

(1)  The  independence  of  the  hands  ivith  respect  to  the 
7yiove7nents  of  the  body  and  legs. 

To  obtain  this  result  the  instructor  requires  flexions  of  the 
body,  progressively  more  accentuated  forward,  backward, 
right  and  left,  suppling  of  the  shoulders,  etc.  In  all  these 
movements  the  hand  or  hands  which  hold  the  reins  should 
remain  in  place  without  stiffness,  in  contact  with  the  horse's 
mouth,  but  independent  of  the  movements  of  the  rider's  body. 
It  is  necessary  to  work  in  a  similar  manner  with  the  legs.  The 
movements  incident  to  the  exercises  of  raising  and  rotating 
the  thighs,  and  of  bending  the  knees  should  not  be  conveyed 
to  the  rider's  hand  and  therefore  should  not  effect  the  horse's 
mouth. 

(2)  The  independence  of  hands  and  legs  with  respect  to 
each  other. 

In  order  to  obtain  this  freedom  of  the  hands  and  of  the  legs, 
the  instructor  uses  the  suppling  exercises  tending  to  isolate 
and  to  render  independent,  the  movements  of  a  hand  or  a  leg 
v/ith  respect  to  one  another.  The  most  useful  movements  to 
obtain  the  result  sought  are  the  rotation  of  one  arm  to  the 
rear,  first  blows  to  the  front  and  rear,  stroking  the  horse  on 
the  right  buttock  with  the  left  hand  and  vice  versa,  tightening 
and  loosening  the  girth,  etc.  The  instructor  watches  always 
to  see  that  the  movement  of  one  of  these  parts  of  the  body 
does  not  cause  movement  of  another.  The  degree  of  success 
attained  as  a  result  of  this  work  is  proven  by  extending  the 
gait,  while  sitting  to  the  trot  or  trotting  without  stirrups.  If 
his  gymnastic  work  has  been  well  directed,  the  joints  and 
members  have  acquired  an  independence  such  that  the  re- 
actions of  the  horse,  received  by  the  spinal  column,  have  no 


deranging  effect  on  the  rider's  hand,  which  remains  light  and 
steady. 

From  the  beginning  the  riders  must  be  impressed  with  the 
importance  of  these  exercises.  It  is  necessary  to  see,  besides, 
that  they  neither  leave  the  horse  "in  the  void"  nor  make  too 
much  use  of  their  strength.  In  a  word,  one  should  seek  to 
give  them  the  "feel"  of  the  horse's  mouth  ("le  sentiment  de  la 
bouche  dii  cheval").  This  "feel"  which  is  developed  gradually 
will  serve  to  establish  the  principle  of  the  stretched  rein  which 
enables  the  hand  to  maintain  a  gentle  contact  with  the  horse's 
mouth.    It  must  be  referred  to,  and  sought  from  the  beginning. 

Mounted  Position.  The  mounted  position  is  defined  in  the 
Drill  Regulations.  By  reason  of  the  positions  given  them,  the 
hand  and  leg  aids  can  act  with  a  maximum  of  promptness,  apt- 
ness, intensity  and  "finesse." 

Certain  of  the  suppling  exercises  facilitate  the  play  of  the 
joints,  and  permit  the  correction  of  physical  defects  and  the 
overcoming  of  the  resulting  contractions. 

A  general  suppleness  having  been  acquired,  the  instructor 
seeks  a  new  objective,  to  place  the  rider  and  then  to  fix  his 
position  at  all  gaits,  on  all  horses,  and  over  all  terrain. 

When  the  instructor  commences  to  take  up  position  he  should 
begin  the  period  at  the  walk  in  order  to  place  each  rider  indi- 
vidually before  taking  up  the  trot.  As  soon  as  the  positions  are 
deranged,  he  must  retake  the  walk,  replace  the  riders  properly, 
and  start  off  again.  Hence  the  necessity,  at  the  beginning,  for 
short  and  frequent  periods  at  the  trot.  Thus,  correct  positions 
wlil  be  acquired. 

Fixity  on  horseback  is  the  absence  of  all  involuntary  or 
useless  movement  and  the  reduction  to  the  minimum  of  those 
that  are  indispensable.  It  is  the  opposite  of  bouncing.  It 
permits  the  aids  to  act  with  precision  and  exactitude,  and  in 
consequence  it  leads  to  calmness  in  the  horse  and  contributes 
to  his  lightness. 

It  must  be  understood  that  regularity  of  position  is  subor- 
dinate to  being  tvith  the  horse. 


— 6— 


The  ability  to  be  with  his  horse  is  the  most  essential  quality 
in  the  rider.  To  be  well  placed  generally  leads  to  being  with  the 
horse;  there  are  however,  some  conformations  which  would 
only  lose  by  being  forced  into  position. 

A  good  position  of  the  rider  depends  above  all  on  the  manner 
in  which  his  eyes,  hands,  buttocks,  and  knees  are  placed. 

(a)  The  fact  of  his  having  his  eyes  alert  and  sweeping  the 
horizon  will  lead  to  the  rider's  holding  his  head  up,  keeping  the 
upper  body  erect,  and  sitting  down  in  the  saddle.  Futhermore, 
from  the  beginning,  the  men  acquire  the  habit  of  observing 
what  goes  on  around  them. 

(b)  If  the  hands  are  well  placed,  separated  as  they  should 
be,  the  nails  facing  each  other,  the  elbows  come  against  the 
body  naturally ;  in  consequence,  the  shoulders  are  squared,  the 
chest  is  free,  and  the  head  is  naturally  erect.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  nails  are  down,  the  elbows  fly  out,  the  shoulders 
come  forward,  and  close  on  the  chest;  the  head  follows  the 
movement  of  the  shoulders,  the  eyes  are  lowered,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  buttocks  tend  to  slide  to  the  rear. 

(c)  The  seat  results  from  the  position  of  the  buttocks. 
They  should  be  as  far  forward  as  possible  without  leading  to 
an  exaggerated  sinking  of  the  spinal  column. 

(d)  If  the  knees  are  well  turned  inward  the  muscles  of  the 
leg  are  placed  under  the  femur  and  the  flat  part  of  the  thigh 
bears  naturally.  The  position  of  the  knee  controls  that  of  the 
foot,  which  hangs  naturally. 

Suppling  Exercises.  It  may  be  seen  from  the  above  that 
the  suppling  exercises  play  a  very  important  part  in  the  in- 
struction of  the  rider;  but  that,  also,  their  use  demands  tact. 
Used  by  some  instructors,  without  order  or  method,  they  give 
only  medicore  results ;  by  others,  however,  they  very  quickly 
improve  even  the  least  gifted  riders. 

Considered  together,  the  suppling  exercises  have  a  triple 
end,  they  serve  to  obtain : 

1.  General  suppleness; 

2.  Independence  of  the  aids; 


— 7— 

3.     Regularity  of  position. 

The  instructor  choses  and  groups  for  these  three  objects  the 
exercises  which  he  considers  most  suitable. 

In  the  first  two  cases  the  exercises  prescribed  are  addressed 
to  the  whole  class,  since  the  instructor  seeks  a  general  result. 
In  the  last  case,  however,  the  appropriate  exercises  should  be 
selected  for  the  individual  rider,  since  it  is  a  question  of  over- 
coming an  individual  defect.  It  must  be  remembered  also  that 
some  of  the  exercises  oppose  each  other,  and  hence  when  they 
are  used  the  object  sought  must  be  clearly  understood.  Thus, 
the  elevation  of  the  thighs,  particularly  favorable  for  placing 
the  seat,  evidently  destroys  the  benefits  derived  from  the  ro- 
tation of  the  thighs,  which  is  intended  to  bring  the  flat  surface 
tc  bear  and  to  lower  the  leg. 

At  the  end  of  several  weeks  of  well-conducted  instruction, 
confidence  is  established  and  contractions  diminish.  The  riders 
commence  to  find  and  keep  the  deepest  part  of  their  saddles 
and  their  joints  are  freer;  in  consequence  their  movements  are 
more  controlled.  Position  is  established.  It  is  now  time  to 
take  up  the  management  of  the  horse  and  to  set  forth  the 
principles  involved. 


— 9— 

Chapter  II 

SECONDARY   EQUITATION 

THE  MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  HORSE 
CONDUIT  DU  CHEVAL 

The  principles  and  methods  of  control  necessary  for  the 
trooper  in  ranks  are  set  forth  in  the  Drill  Regulations  and 
constitute  elementary  equitation.  That  which  follows  is  ad- 
dressed entirely  to  officers  and  noncommissioned  officers 
(cadre)  and  constitutes  "secondary  equitation." 

The  object  of  the  study  of  the  management  of  the  horse  is 
to  teach  the  rider  the  use  of  the  means  at  hand  to  control  the 
horse  at  all  gaits,  in  all  directions,  and  over  any  terrain. 
To  manage  the  horse  is : 
To  put  him  in  movement. 
To  regulate  that  movement. 
To  direct  that  movement. 
For  this  it  is  necessary : 

To  know  the  means  that  nature,  art,  and  science  have  put 

at  the  disposition  of  the  rider  (study  of  the  aids)  ; 
To  harmonize  these  means  (mastery  of  the  aids)  ; 
To  employ  these  means  (use  of  the  aids). 


STUDY  OF  THE  AIDS 

A  complete  understanding  of  the  aids,  requires  inquiry  into 
the  physical  aptitudes  and  moral  qualities  of  the  man,  the 
study  of  the  so-called  natural  aids,  and  a  knowledge  of  the 
artificial  aids. 

Aptitudes.  Whatever  may  be  the  value  of  the  instructor  or 
of  his  methods,  the  rider's  weight  and  conformation,  his  fixity 
or  insecurity  of  seat,  his  strength  or  the  lack  of  it,  his  supple- 
ness or  stiffness,  his  energy  or  indolence,  his  intelligence, 
esprit,  and  patience — or,  on  the  other  hand,  his  apprehension, 
nervousness,  or  brutality — are  factors  which  have  great  in- 
fluence on  results  obtained  in  equitation.    One  should  consider 


—10— 

these  things  carefully  in  assigning  riders  to  horses,  especially 
to  young  horses. 

Natural  Aids.  The  natural  aids  are  the  legs,  reins,  and 
weight.  The  legs  and  reins  serve  to  put  the  rider  in  agreement 
v/ith  his  mount ;  they  permit  him  to  judge  of  the  character  and 
temperament  of  the  horse,  to  transmit  to  him  and  impose  upon 
him  his  will. 

The  movements  of  the  horse  vary  according  to  the  positions 
taken  by  the  different  parts  of  his  body  and  the  amount  of 
impulsion  employed. 

In  order  to  make  the  horse  execute  any  movement  whatever 
one  must  first  give  him  a  position  which  permits,  facilitates, 
or  determines  that  movement,  and  then  produce,  maintain, 
increase,  or  moderate  the  impulsion. 

Rapidity  of  movement  depends  on  the  degree  of  impulsion. 

The  aids  are  the  means  by  which  one  gives  the  horse  position 
and  impulsion. 

Action  of  the  legs.  The  legs  should  be  fixed — that  is  to  say, 
in  light  elastic  contact  with  the  sides  of  the  horse.  They  should 
be  free  from  all  involuntary  motion  and  very  definite  in  their 
movements.  The  stirrup  is  adjusted  accordingly.  The  op- 
posite to  fixity  of  leg  is  the  fault  of  swinging  which  confuses 
the  horse. 

The  legs  may  act,  resist,  or  yield.  They  act  when  their 
pressure  increases  to  determine  a  movement ;  they  7'esist  when 
their  pressure  remains  constant  and  is  opposed  to  a  displace- 
ment of  the  hindquarters;  they  yield  when  their  pressure 
diminishes  and  allows  that  displacement.  In  the  first  two 
cases  they  are  active,  though  in  different  degrees;  in  the  last 
case  they  are  passive. 

(a)  When  the  two  legs  act  simultaneously,  the  effect  should 
be,  if  at  the  halt,  to  move  the  horse  forward,  if  in  march,  to 
increase  the  impulsion.  Their  action  should  be  produced  a 
little  in  rear  of  the  girth,  smoothly  so  that  the  horse  will  not 
be  surprised,  but  energetically  and  by  free  attacks  with  the 
calves  of  the  legs  if  he  hesitates  to  move  forward. 


—11— 

(b)  When  one  leg  alone,  the  right  for  example,  acts  in  rear 
of  the  girth,  it  should  have  the  result,  while  provoking  the  for- 
ward movement,  of  pushing  the  hindquarters  to  the  left.  The 
horse  faces  to  the  right  if  halted ;  turns  to  the  right,  while  in- 
creasing the  gait,  if  in  march.  This  action  should  be  produced 
by  drawing  the  leg  a  little  to  the  rear,  not  too  much,  and  closing 
it  in  progressively  so  that  the  horse  will  not  be  surprised.  If  he 
hesitates  to  obey,  the  leg  should  act  by  little  taps  of  the  calf, 
and  should  cease  to  act  as  soon  as  he  obeys. ^ 

The  spur  serves  in  proper  cases,  to  reenforce  the  action  of 
the  leg,  and  to  render  the  horse's  obedience  more  prompt.  It 
is  to  the  leg  what  the  curb  chain  is  to  the  hand.  It  must  be 
used  with  discretion,  and  in  proportion  to  the  results  desired 
and  to  the  degree  of  sensibility  of  the  horse.  A  distinction  is 
made  between  the  energetic  attacks  which  must  be  employed 
to  push  the  horse  forward,  or  to  punish  him  when  necessary, 
and  the  scratch  of  the  spur  (pincer  de  I'eperon)  which  is  one 
of  the  niceties  of  the  aids. 

Action  of  the  reins.  The  reins,  through  the  bits,  act  upon 
the  horse's  mouth.  For  eifects  to  be  exact,  they  must  remain 
adjusted  and  stretched  during  work;  if  they  are  flapping,  the 
indications  of  the  hand  will  probably  not  reach  the  horse,  or  if 
they  do,  they  will  arrive  confused,  or  in  the  form  of  brutal  and 
awkward  jerks.  Contact  is  that  gentle  liaison  which  should 
exist  between  the  hand  of  the  rider  and  the  mouth  of  the 
horse;  with  certain  horses,  especially  young  ones,  contact  is 
rather  an  equal  and  liberal  support  (soutien)  ;  out-of-doors  at 
the  fast  gaits,  and  principally  in  the  charge,  contact  may  be 
transformed  to  a  more  or  less  marked  support  (appui). 

The  hands,  like  the  legs,  may  act,  resist,  or  yield. 

The  reins  being  adjusted,  the  hands,  act  when  they  increase 
the  tension  on  the  reins;  they  resist  when  they  offer  a  deter- 


1  One  leg  alone,  the  right  for  example,  acting  on  the  girth,  when  the 
left  leg  opposes  the  deviation  of  the  haunches,  may  serve  to  bend  the 
horse  to  the  right  and  to  lead  to  the  engagement  of  the  right  hind  under 
the  mass.  This  action  of  the  leg  should  be  perfectly  timed  and  belongs  in 
the  realm  of  superior  equitation. 


—12- 


mined  constant  resistance  to  the  mouth ;  they  yield  when  they 
follow  the  movements  of  the  head  and  neck. 

It  is  very  important  to  know  when  they  should  properly  act, 
resist,  or  yield. 

The  actions  of  the  hand  should  be  progressive. 

The  resisting  hand  has  a  very  powerful  effect  without  ir- 
ritating the  horse  as  a  live  force  would  do.  Its  effect  is  produced 
by  reason  of  its  duration ;  it  should  yield  when  the  horse  yields. 

A  hand  which  acts  on  the  equilibrium  or  impulsion  is  called 
an  active  hand ;  a  passive  hand  is  one  which,  while  preserving 
the  contact,  opposes  neither  the  impulsion  nor  the  displace- 
ments of  weight. 

The  diversity  and  multiplicity  of  sensations  and  resistances, 
transmitted  by  the  reins  from  the  horse's  mouth  to  the  rider's 
hand  demonstrates  how  great  may  be  the  variety  of  actions 
of  the  hand. 

Among  these  numerous  rein  actions,  it  is  necessary  to  de- 
termine those  whose  simple  and  definite  effects  are  sufficient 
to  obtain  all  of  the  movements  which  are  useful  in  military 
equitation. 

(a)  The  reins  regulate  impulsion.  The  two  reins,  acting 
together  should  have  the  effect  of  slowing,  stopping  or  of  back- 
ing the  horse.  They  are  called  direct  reiyis.  This  action  should 
be  produced  by  fixing  the  hands  and  closing  the  fingers  on  the 
adjusted  reins,  the  elbows  and  hands  should  move  as  little  as 
possible  to  the  rear. 

The  half  halt  is  a  brief  energetic  action  of  the  hands  which 
the  rider  executes,  with  the  fingers  closed  on  the  adjusted 
reins,  by  twisting  the  hand  quickly,  from  below  upward  and 
from  front  to  rear,  without  losing  contact  with  the  mouth. 

It  is  used  to  slow  up  horses  that  are  too  ambitious  or  to 
carry  to  the  rear  the  excess  of  weight  that  some  badly  balanced 
horses  allow  to  come  on  the  shoulders. 

It  is  effected  according  to  need,  on  one  rein,  on  two  together,, 
on  the  snaffle,  or  on  the  curb. 


—13— 

The  action  of  the  hand  should  be  regulated  according  to  the 
resistance  which  it  encounters. 

Vibration  is  a  light  playing  or  shaking  of  one  rein,  some- 
times of  two  at  once.  It  is  executed,  like  the  half  halt,  on  the 
snaffle  or  on  the  curb ;  it  may  last  for  one  or  several  seconds, 
and  is  strong  or  weak  according  to  the  resistance  met. 

Vibration  is  used  to  destroy  the  muscular  contractions  of 
the  jaw  which  the  horse  opposes,  instinctively  or  voluntarily, 
to  the  action  of  the  bit. 

(b)     The  hands  control,  also,  the  position  of  the  forehand. 

The  reins  act  through  the  mouth  on  the  head,  neck,  and 
shoulders ;  they  permit  the  displacement  of  the  head  with  re- 
spect to  the  neck;  the  neck  with  respect  to  the  shoulders,  the 
shoulders  with  respect  to  the  haunches.  They  may  even  act 
indirectly  on  the  haunches  by  giving  the  shoulders  such  a 
position  that  the  haunches  are  obliged  to  change  direction; 
which  is  called  "opposing  the  shoulders  to  the  haunches."- 

These  different  effects  depend  on  the  direction  of  tension  on 
the  rein,  according  to  whether  the  hand  is  carried  more  or  less 
forward  or  to  the  rear,  to  the  right  or  left,  high  or  low. 

One  may  group  the  several  actions  of  the  hand  into  five 
principal  series  but  it  is  merely  a  purely  theoretical  division 
which  facilitates  in  instruction  the  study  of  the  aids ;  between 
the  extreme  actions,  forward  and  to  the  right,  rear  and  right, 
rear  and  left,  and  forward  and  left,  there  are  an  infinite 
number  of  directions  or  tractions,  from  which  the  rider  will 
be  enabled  to  obtain  the  proper  effect  as  he  gains  in  knowledge, 
experience,  and  tact.^ 


-  The  term  "opposition"  as  used  in  connection  with  rein  actions  implies 
an  effect  of  opposing  the  shoulders  to  the  haunches,  which,  as  is  stated  in 
paragraph  (b)  above,  is  produced  by  "giving-  the  shoulders  such  a  posi- 
tion that  the  haunches  are  obliged  to  change  direction."  This  position 
and  result  are  produced  by  rein  action  which  changes  the  direction  of 
the  shoulders  (forehand)  at  the  same  time  that  it  retards  them,  implying 
an  increased  tension  on  the  rein. 

^  These  principal  actions  are  those  which  were  taught  at  the  School  of 
Versailles.  They  were  transmitted  to  the  Cavalry  School  by  Comte 
■d'Aure  and  made  generally  known  by  Gen.  J.  de  Benoist. 


-14— 


1.  (a)  In  carrying  the  right  hand  to  the  right,  the  rider 
displaces  the  horse's  head  towards  the  right;  the  right  rein  is 
then  the  opening  rein. 

The  rider  should  avoid  pulling  on  the  rein  from  front  to 
rear,  or  opening  the  elbow  away  from  the  body. 

(b)  If  the  rider  accentuates  the  movement  of  the  right 
hand  toward  the  right,  the  neck  follows  the  head,  the  shoulders 
follow  the  neck,  and  the  horse  faces  to  the  right  while 
advancing. 

2.  In  giving  the  right  opening  rein  a  tension  from  front  to 
rear,  the  rider  draws  the  shoulders  of  his  horse  to  the  rear  and 
right  and  forces  him  to  throw  his  haunches  to  the  left.  The 
right  rein  then  takes  the  name  direct  rein  of  opposition.  This 
action  should  be  produced  by  lowering  the  hand,  the  fingers 
being  closed  on  the  adjusted  rein. 

3.  (a)  In  carrying  the  right  hand  forward  and  to  the  left 
so  that  the  rein  bears  against  the  neck,  the  rider  draws  the 
horse's  muzzle  to  the  right,  forces  the  neck  at  the  shoulders  to 
the  left,  and  weights  the  left  shoulder  by  loading  it  with  the 
greater  part  of  the  weight  of  the  neck.  The  right  rein  is  then 
called  the  indirect  rein,  or  hearing  rein  (elementary  equita- 
tion). 

(b)  If  the  rider  accentuates  the  movement  of  the  right 
hand  toward  the  left,  the  increase  of  weight  which  results 
should  break  the  equilibrium  and  turn  the  horse  toward  the 
left.    This  turn  is  made  while  advancing. 

In  giving  to  the  bearing  rein  (right)  a  tension  from  front 
to  rear,  two  effects  may  be  produced  according  to  the  direction 
in  which  the  rein  acts,  in  front  of  or  in  rear  of  the  withers. 

4.  If  produced  in  front  of  the  withers — that  is,  toward  the 
left  shoulder — the  shoulders  are  drawn  to  the  rear  and  left, 
the  horse,  if  he  was  standing  still,  faces  to  the  left  in  backing ; 
if  in  march,  he  turns  to  the  left  w^hile  slowing  up. 

5.  If  the  action  of  the  rein  passes  in  rear  of  the  withers — 
that  is,  in  the  direction  of  the  left  haunch — the  rein  acts  on 


—15— 

the  whole  mass  of  the  horse  and  pushes  both  forehand  and 
haunches  to  the  left. 

If  the  horse  is  in  march,  this  diagonal  action  of  the  right 
rein,  while  bending  him  to  the  right,  pushes  him  obliquely 
forward  and  to  the  left,  provided  that  the  impulsion  is  suffic- 
iently great  to  overcome  the  rearward  effect  of  the  rein.  The 
I'esultant  forward  movement  will  be  in  direct  proportion  to  the 
impulsion. 

These  two  actions  (fourth  and  fifth  effects)  of  the  bearing 
rein,  each  tending  to  oppose  the  shoulders  to  the  haunches,  are 
called  bearing  (indirect)  reins  of  oppositio)i.^ 

Accord  of  the  Aids.  The  "accord  of  the  aids"  is  that  co- 
operation which  should  exist  between  the  rider's  legs,  hands, 
and  weight,  which  will  permit,  facilitate,  or  hasten  proper 
execution  of  the  movements  desired. 

1.  Accord  of  the  legs  acting  together  and  the  two  reins 
acting  together: 

The  legs  give  impulsion.  The  reins  regulate  the  impulsion. 
The  action  of  both  legs  together  has  the  effect  of  producing, 
maintaining,  or  accelerating  the  forward  movement. 

Tension  on  both  reins  together  has  the  effect  of  limiting  the 
forward  movement ;  that  is,  of  slowing,  stopping,  or  backing. 

These  two  actions,  (simultaneous  action  of  both  legs  and 
both  hands,)  then,  are  totally  opposed  and  should  never  be 
ijroduced  at  the  same  time,  under  pain  of  destroying  the 
impulsion. 

When  the  legs  act  to  increase  speed  the  hands  should  yield 
t')  allow  the  increase;  then  they  resist  if  necessary,  to  limit  it. 

Likewise,  when  the  reins  act  to  slow  the  gait,  the  legs  ijield, 
then  resist  if  necessary,  to  limit  the  decrease. 

Summing  up,  in  slowing,  stopping  or  backing,  the  legs  over- 
see the  movement  in  order  to  regulate  it  if  necessary,  but  they 


1  The  terms  "direct"  and  "indirect"  as  used  in  connection  with  rein 
actions  apply  to  the  directions  in  which  the  rein  acts.  The  "direct  rein" 
acts  parallel  to  the  axis  of  the  horse.  The  "indirect  rein"  acts  diagonally, 
towards  the  axis  of  the  horse. 


a 
o 

(1)    The   forehead   is 
led    to    the    side    on 
which   equilibrium  is 
broken  by  the  excess 
of    weight     on     right 
shoulder.    (2)    Bend- 
ing  of   neck   too 
feeble  to  break  equi- 
librium. 

( 1 )      Tho     shoulders 
fall  to  the  right  and 
the    haunches    go    t" 
the    left.        (2)      The 
shoulders   fall  to   the 
right;    spinal   column 
can  not  remain  bent. 

(1)     The    body    and 
croup    follow    shoul- 
ders    which     go     to 
side     whose     balance 
is  broken.   (2)   Bend- 
ing and  weighing  are 
loo  weak  to  provoke 
movement. 

(1)    Shoulders   go   to 
left,       haunches       to 
right.     (2)     For    the 
same  reason. 

(1)  The  rein  passing 
by      the      center     of 
gravity      di*aws      the 
whole    mass     to    the 
left.       (2)        Same 
reason. 

0) 

(1)    The   horse 
turns      to      the 
right.    (2)    The 
horse     reinains 

still. 

(1)  The   horse 
turns      sharply 
t(i      the      I'ight. 

(2)  He    turns 
in  place  to  the 
right. 

No  effects       1(1)    The   horse 
turns     to     left. 
(2)    The  horse 
reiiiiiins    f^till. 

1 

1 
Thrown    to      1(1)      Horse 
tho    right    byi  turns     to     left, 
opposition    toj(2)     He    turns 
the    shoulder. Heft    in    place. 

Pushed    to       1(1)     Horse 
tho  left.             '  'two  -  tracks' ' 
to  left.   (2)  He 
takes       several 
steps   in   "two- 
1  tracks"  to  left 

a 

o 

o    , 
a) 

CO 

No    effects 

Thrown  to 
the  left. 

The 
shoulders 

Right    shoul- 
der   lightly 
weighted. 

Right     shoul- 
der   heavily 
charged. 

Left  shoulder 

slightly 

weighted. 

Left    shoul- 
der  heavily 
charged. 

Left    shoul- 
der  vci-y 
heavily 
charged. 



a 

Bend   to 
the   right. 

Curved  in 
and    to 
the    right. 

Is  bent 
slightly 
to  tho 
right. 

Curved 
in,  and  to 
the    right. 

Curved 
in  and  to 
the   I'ight. 

C3 
i 

.a 

a) 
IB  73 

^  S 

a 

Slightly      Slightly 
to  the         to  the 
right.           right. 

To    the      ITo    the 
right            right 
then    to       then    to 
the    rear,    the  rear. 

1 
1 

1 

Slightly     IThe  poll 
to  the         leans  to 
right.           the   left. 

1 
1 

To    the      1  q'o    the 
right,          1  right, 
then   to      Ithen    to 
the  rear.   Ithe  rear. 

1 

. .     do     .  .  1  . .     do     .  . 

Position     of 

the  hand 
More    or    less 
forward     and 
low    to    yield 
the    left    rein 
as     much     as 
desired  to  al- 
low and  reg- 
ulate  the  ac- 
tion   of   right 
rein. 

do    ... 

do    ... 

do    ... 

^ 

a 
■?'» 

.a  " 

9  " 
.2  ? 

^  2 
o5 

To    the    right 
and    forward. 

To    the   right 
and  low. 

To     the     left 
and    forward. 

To     the     left 
and   rear   but 
in      front      of 
the  shoulders 

To     the     left 
and  rear,  but 
in      rear      of 
the  shoulders 

;^ 

I.  Opening 
rein. 

II.  Direct  rein 
of    opposition 

CO 

a 

IB 

l-H   >• 
t-i 

IV.      Bearing 
rein    of   oppo- 
sition in  front 
of     the     with- 
ers. 

V.       Bearing 
rein    of   oppo- 
sition  in  rear 
of    withers. 

—16- 


First     Eri^ecT 

T\  I  (J  n  t   d  I  r£  c1*   r  e  I  fj 

\  Wide    Torr) 


H 


L/eaer)d 
barjd    active  OH 

lecj    acfive     0  L 
lea     fo 


assive    'L 


iL-C|ec1'or)   pVjoulciers    vS'O 


—17— 


i\  I  CI  1)1"    direci"    rein     i »)    obbosiTioQ 


1     \  I  o     i'u  r  o     S  b  o  rV 


—18- 


Tb'.rd       EjfeeT 
l\ral3T     ipdired"     ran 


wide  Tcirj7 


1        OL 


—19— 


FourtV,     Ljfect 

l\»CjhT     }r)d\rcct    reio     of     o]o\iosiftor) 

(in   -f-rooT  o-f    wiTy^(?f".sj 


To    tu 


—20- 


"Fifth       Lffect 


—21— 

act  only  when  the  horse  has  obeyed  and  in  case  the  impulsion 
dies  down. 

When  moving  forward,  taking  the  trot,  or  increasing  the 
gait,  the  reins  should  be  ready  to  resist  at  the  proper  moment 
in  order  to  regulate  the  gait,  but  they  come  into  play  only  after 
the  horse  has  commenced  to  yield  to  the  action  of  the  legs. 

On  straight  lines,  therefore,  the  actions  of  the  hands  and  the 
legs  should  never  he  simidtaneous. 

It  is  evident  that  the  more  obedient  and  highly  trained  the 
horse,  the  more  these  actions  may  approach  one  another  with- 
out confusion.  The  "greener"  the  horse,  the  more  distinct  the 
indications  given  him  should  be  and  the  greater  the  necessity 
for  separate  actions  of  those  aids  whose  effects  might  be 
contradictory. 

2.  Accord  of  the  two  reins.  When  seeking  to  regulate  or 
reenforce  the  action  of  one  rein  by  that  of  the  other,  care  must 
be  taken  that  they  do  not  contradict  each  other;  if  the  right 
hand  acts,  the  left  must  allow  the  right  to  produce  its  full 
eifect. 

Consequently,  the  left  hand  not  only  should  not  act,  nor  even 
resist ;  it  should  yield.  If  it  acts  simultaneously  with  the  right 
hand,  if  it  even  resists,  far  from  strengthening  the  action,  it 
can  only  oppose,  weaken,  or  even  destroy  it. 

Conversely,  the  yielding  of  the  left  hand,  when  the  right 
acts,  allows  the  action  of  the  right  hand  to  have  its  full  effect. 

So,  whenever  the  right  rein  acts,  whether  as  opening  rein, 
bearing  rein,  or  rein  of  opposition,  the  left  hand  should  at 
first  yield  to  permit  the  head  and  neck  to  take  the  indicated 
position,  then  resist,  if  necessary,  to  limit  the  movement.  It 
then  plays  the  role  of  the  regulating  rein. 

An  action  of  the  left  hand  may  properly  succeed  an  action 
of  the  right  hand ;  for  instance,  an  action  of  a  bearing  rein 
may  be  substituted  for  an  action  of  an  opening  rein,  but  these 
actions  are  successive  and  the  principle  of  the  active  rein  and 
the  passive  rein  is  always  observed. 


—22— 

In  riding  with  one  hand,  the  bearing  rein  acts  alone,  the 
other  rein  hangs  loose  at  the  moment  of  the  action.  If  the  two 
reins  are  not  in  accord,  they  at  least  do  not  contradict  each 
other. 

3.  Accord  of  the  two  legs.  When  the  right  leg  acts  alone, 
the  left  leg  should,  at  first,  yield  to  allow  the  action  of  the 
right  leg  to  produce  its  effect,  then  resist,  if  necessary  to  regu- 
late the  movement  by  limiting  the  displacement  of  the  croup. 

4.  Accord  of  the  legs  with  each  of  the  effects  of  the  reins. 
Pressure  of  the  legs  has  the  effect  of  moving  the  horse  forward, 
of  producing  movement  which  the  reins  direct;  likewise, 
tension  on  the  reins  produces  effects  on  the  haunches  which 
the  legs  should  coordinate. 

There  exists  then  a  constant  relation  between  the  actions 
of  the  hands  and  the  legs.  These  actions,  instead  of  being 
opposed  to  one  another,  should  be  combined,  strengthened,  and 
made  to  agree. 

(a)  The  right  opening  rein  leads  the  weight  of  the  neck 
onto  the  right  shoulder  without  opposing  the  haunches  which 
should  follow  the  direction  taken  by  the  shoulders.  The  legs 
laerely  maintain  impulsion  by  an  equal  pressure. 

(b)  The  right  direct  rein  of  opposition  bends  the  neck  to 
the  right,  carries  the  weight  of  the  neck  onto  the  right 
shoulder,  opposes  the  shoulders  to  the  haunches,  and  throws 
the  haunches  to  the  left.  The  right  leg  aids  in  displacing  the 
haunches. 

(c)  The  right  bearing  rein  causes  the  head  to  swing  to  the 
left  and  puts  the  weight  of  the  neck  onto  the  left  shoulder 
without  opposing  the  haunches.  The  two  legs  act  equally  to 
maintain  the  impulsion. 

(d)  The  right  bearing  (indirect)  rein  of  opposition  (in 
front  of  the  withers)  forces  the  base  of  the  neck  to  the  left, 
bends  the  neck  to  the  right,  carries  its  weight  onto  the  left 
shoulder  and  throws  the  haunches  to  the  right  by  opposing  the 
shoulders  to  them.  The  left  leg  acts  to  aid  in  pushing  the 
haunches  to  the  right. 


—23— 

(e)  The  right  bearing  (indirect)  rein  of  opposition  (in 
rear  of  the  withers)  while  bending  the  neck  to  the  right,  has 
the  effect  of  forcing  the  base  of  the  neck  to  the  left,  of  carrying 
the  weight  of  the  head  and  neck  onto  the  left  shoulder,  of 
weighting  the  left  haunch,  and  of  forcing  the  whole  mass  for- 
ward and  to  the  left,  when  there  is  sufficient  impulsion  to 
maintain  forward  movement. 

The  right  leg  in  pushing  the  haunches  toward  the  left 
strengthens  the  effect  and  accelerates  the  movement. 

It  must  be  understood  that  in  prescribing  the  action  of  one 
leg  the  other  is  not  supposed  to  remain  inactive;  on  the  con- 
trary, it  plays  its  part  in  the  impulsion  and  as  a  regulating 
aid  as  was  said  above  in  speaking  of  the  accord  of  the  legs. 

Lateral  and  diagonal  aids.  Lateral  and  diago^ml  effects.  In 
instruction,  to  shorten  explanations,  the  aids  are  considered 
either  from  the  viewpoint  of  the  various  combinations  which 
may  result  from  the  association  of  the  two  hands  and  the  two 
legs;  or,  from  the  viewpoint  of  the  direction  of  their  action, 
that  is  to  say,  of  the  effects  produced. 

When  the  determining  aids  are  placed  on  the  same  side  of 
the  horse,  right  leg  and  right  rein,  they  are  called  lateral  aids. 

When  they  are,  on  the  contrary,  one  on  the  right,  the  other 
on  the  left  of  the  horse,  for  example,  left  leg,  right  hand,  they 
are  called  diagonal  aids. 

Considering  rein  actions  alone,  with  respect  to  the  direction 
of  their  actions  and  the  effects  produced :  when  the  direction 
of  the  hand  action  is  on  the  same  side  of  the  horse  as  the  hand 
acting,  (in  other  words,  is  parallel  to  or  away  from  the  horse) 
a  lateral  effect  is  produced,  example — opening  rein,  direct  rein, 
direct  rein  of  opposition ;  when  the  direction  of  the  hand  action 
is  towards  the  horse,  a  diagonal  effect  is  produced. 

Diagonal  effect  includes  all  actions  of  the  hand  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  horse;  the  right  hand  for  example,  acting 
diagonally  from  front  to  rear  and  right  to  left  (actions  of  the 
bearing  (indirect)  reins  of  opposition). 

Following  these  definitions,  if  in  the  two  track  toward  the 


—24— 

right,  the  rider  uses  his  left  leg  and  left  rein,  he  employs 
Icteral  aids ;  but  the  left  hand  acting  diagonally  from  the  front 
to  rear  and  from  left  to  right  produces  a  diagonal  effect. 

If  in  the  same  movement,  the  rider  uses  the  left  leg  and 
right  rein,  he  employs  diagonal  aids;  but  the  right  rein  in 
leading  the  head  produces,  in  the  direction  of  march,  a  lateral 
effect. 

These  remarks  will  show  how  much  more  apparent  than  real 
are  the  distinctions  established  by  some  authors  between 
lateral  equitation  and  diagonal  equitation. 

True  equitation  is  nothing  more  than  the  combination  of  the 
different  lateral  effects  or  diagonal  effects  of  which  we  have 
just  been  speaking.  The  rider  has  two  hands  and  two  legs 
v/hich  may  act  singly  or  together,  laterally  or  diagonally,  and 
thus  produce  very  varied  effects.  It  is  "up  to  the  rider"  to  use, 
according  to  the  horse  he  is  riding  and  the  purpose  in  view, 
the  aid  or  the  aids  which  should  produce  the  desired  effect. 

The  weight.  In  studying  the  actions  of  the  reins  it  has  been 
seen  that  under  their  influence  the  balance  of  the  horse  can  be 
modified  even  so  as  to  lead  him  to  turn  to  the  right  or  left 
accordingly  as  the  weight  of  the  neck  is  carried  on  one  shoulder 
or  the  other.  As  the  shoulders  are  unequally  weighted  the 
forehand  moves  towards  the  side  to  which  the  excess  of  weight 
draws  it. 

The  equal  or  unequal  distribution  of  the  horse's  mass  upon 
ihe  supporting  members  evidently  has  a  direct  influence  on 
the  direction  of  movement  taken  by  the  whole  machine. 

When  the  horse  carries  a  rider,  the  mass  which  the  mem- 
bers support  does  not  consist  of  the  horse's  weight  alone ;  to 
that  must  be  added  the  weight  of  the  rider — between  165  and 
190  pounds,  on  the  average.  The  body,  which  alone  amounts 
to  about  100  pounds,  may  by  shifting  its  position,  contribute 
powerfully  to  the  variations  in  the  balance  of  the  horse  pro- 
voked by  the  aids.  The  rider,  then,  must  be  warned  not  to 
hinder  the  movements  of  the  horse  by  a  bad  disposition  of  his 
weight,  but,  on  the  contrary,  to  favor  them  by  using  his  weight 
always  in  the  desired  direction. 


—25— 

When  moving,  stopping,  turning,  or  on  two  tracks,  the  rider, 
by  carrying  his  weight  on  the  buttocks  or  thighs  in  the  direc- 
tion of  movement,  may  facilitate  and  hasten  the  obedience  of 
the  horse.  While  quite  clearly  marked  in  the  breaking  and 
training  of  a  young  horse,  these  displacements  of  the  weight 
become  more  and  more  limited  as  training  is  perfected. 

In  superior  equitation,  they  are  reduced  to  a  mere  weighting 
of  the  stirrups. 

Artificial  aids.  The  artificial  aids  are  the  means  of  domina- 
tion created  by  the  industry  and  ingenuity  of  man  to  prolong, 
strengthen,  or  take  the  place  of  his  natural  aids.  They  vary 
with  the  nature  of  the  horse  and  the  use  made  of  him. 

Those  which  have  a  current  use  are,  first,  the  riding  whip, 
much  used  at  the  beginning  of  training  to  teach  a  young  horse 
to  yield  the  haunches  to  the  action  of  the  leg,  and  in  ordinary 
riding  with  mares  and  sensitive  horses  who  kick  at  the  boot; 
t?ien  the  longeing  whip,  link  straps,  martingales,  nosebands, 
Barnuni  reins,  rigid  reins,  pulley  or  running  reins,  etc.  In- 
cluded also  are  the  various  kinds  of  spurs,  as  well  as  the 
innumerable  types  of  curbs,  gag  snaffles,  rearing  bits,  etc. 

These  different  means  may  be  useful  to  quickly  prepare  a 
horse  for  service,  to  rapidly  reassert  lost  authority  and  to 
dominate  certain  difficult  horses  in  order  that  their  training 
may  progress.  But  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  most  of 
these  instruments,  excellent  in  certain  hands,  become  danger- 
ous with  less  experienced  riders. 

Besides,  the  results,  even  though  rapidly  obtained  by  these 
means,  are  generally  only  superficial.  They  can  not  really 
take  the  place  of  the  true  education  of  the  horse,  which  depends 
ias  much  upon  his  moral  submission  as  upon  his  physical  obed- 
ience to  the  natural  aids. 

II 
MASTERY  OF  THE  AIDS 

However  precise  theoretically  the  effects  of  the  legs  and 
reins  may  be,  they  can  have  practical  utility  only  if  the  aids 
which   produce  them   are   perfectly   disciplined   and   submis- 


—26— 

sive  to  the  will  of  the  rider.    It  is  not  sufficient  to  know  these 
aids,  it  is  also  necessary  to  be  master  of  them. 

If  the  horse  does  not  submit  to  the  requirements  of  the 
rider,  in  the  majority  of  cases  it  is  not  due  to  the  ignorance 
or  bad  will  of  the  horse ;  but  it  is  because  the  weak,  incoher- 
ent application-  of  the  aids  do  not  require  the  desired 
movement. 

Coordination  and  independence  of  the  aids  are  obtained  by 
controlling  the  I'eflexes. 

If  young  riders  are  ordered  to  act  with  the  left  leg  alone, 
the  right  leg  nearly  always  flies  out  an  equal  amount.  Thi$ 
one  example  gives  an  idea  of  the  great  amount  of  work  neces- 
sary to  control  the  muscles  so  as  to  enable  the  rider  to  employ 
them  for  a  definite  useful  purpose  according  to  the  rider's 
will.i 

Without  dwelling  upon  the  causes  of  what  is  commonly 
called  "awkwardness"  (maladresse),  it  is  seen  that  the  role 
of  the  instructor  includes  the  bringing  about  and  multiplying 
the  occasions  which  the  young  rider  has  for  using  the  proper 
aids  correctly,  first  employing  them  singly,  then  in  combina- 
tions. 

(a)  The  pupil  holding  the  reins  separated  in  the  two  hands 
is  directed  to  utilize  in  simple  movements,  such  as  the  passage 

1  "One  must  be  particularly  careful,"  says  d'Auvergnc,  "to  act  witb 
only  the  parts  necessary  to  accomplish  the  result,  for  correct  execution 
is  prevented  by  the  involuntary  action  of  certain  of  the  rider's  parts 
which  may  occur  without  his  knowledge.  For  example  the  body  should 
not  be  displaced  when  one  uses  the  legs  or  hands ;  again  the  knees  should 
not  be  displaced  when  one  uses  the  legs." 

"It  is  very  essential  also  not  to  dravv^  the  right  leg  close  if  one  wished 
or.ly  to  use  the  left,  and  similarly  not  to  make  use  of  the  left  when  only 
the  right  is  required,  for  the  horse  will  not  know  what  is  asked  of  him. 
It  is  necessary  to  teach  each  man  who  mounts  a  horse  the  effects  that  are 
produced  by  each  leg  singly  and  when  used  in  accord  together.  It  is  no 
less  important  to  know  the  effect  produced  by  each  rein  of  the  snaffle  and 
curb,  for  often  one  employs  the  left  when  one  should  employ  the  right> 
and  the  right  when  one  should  employ  the  left,  and  often  both  when  one 
should  employ  only  one." 


—27— 

of  corners,  moving  by  the  flank,  and  circles ;  first,  the  opening 
rein  effects,  then,  the  bearing  rein  effects  and,  finally,  the 
effects  of  opposition,  abandoning  completely  the  rein  which 
does  not  determine  the  movement. 
Example : 

"By  the  right  opening  rein,  by  the  right  flank ;" 
'By  the  right  bearing  rein,  circle  to  the  left;" 
"By  the  left  direct  rein  of  opposition,  half  turn  to  the 
left." 
(b)     He  is  then  taught,  by  composite  movements,  to  sub- 
stitute the  effect  of  the  opening  rein  for  the  effects  of  opposi- 
tion, or  the  indirect  effects  for  the  opening  effects,  etc. 
Example : 

The  section  marching  to  the  left  hand,  the  instructor  will 
command : 

"Half  turn  in  reverse,   leave  the  track  by  the  bearing 

rein." 
"Right   bearing    (indirect)    rein   of   opposition,   on   two 

tracks  on  the  diagonal." 
"By  the  right  opening  rein,  right  about." 
Or  again,  the  section  marching  to  the  right  hand: 
"Half  turn,  by  the  right  opening  rein,  right  about." 
"By  the  left  bearing  (indirect)  rein  of  opposition,  on  two 
tracks  on  the  diagonal,"  then,  immediately,  "By  the 
right  bearing  rein,  by  the  left  flank,  etc." 
i    The  pupil  will  have  been  shown  in  the  first  example  that 
the  right  rein  has  been  able  to  produce  three  effects  according 
to  the  different  directions  given  it ;  in  the  second,  he  will  have 
learned  to  substitute  rapidly  the  action  of  the  left  hand  for 
that  of  the  right  and  back  to  the  former. 

(c)  When  this  practice  of  one  hand  alone  is  well  under- 
stood and  executed,  it  is  necessary  to  learn,  by  the  same  move- 
ments, and  with  the  same  progression,  to  act  with  both  reins, 
but  having  them  in  accord,  the  hands  acting,  resisting  or 
yielding  according  to  circumstances. 


—28— 

(d)  In  the  end  the  movements  must  be  rapid  and  compli- 
cated, such  as  the  broken  line,  serpentine,  pursuit,  to  give  the 
pupil  decision  and  agility. 

Concurrent  with  these  increasing  difficulties  the  instructor 
should  make  sure  that  the  riders  use  properly  the  prescribed 
actions  of  hands  and  legs  and  that  they  realize  the  effects 
produced.  He  indicates  to  them  the  positions  desired  for  the 
head  and  neck,  the  dangers  to  avoid,  and  by  constant  criticism- 
corrects  every  fault  committed. 

The  student  will  thus  come  to  discern  the  muscles  which 
should  act  in  the  execution  of  the  different  prescribed  move- 
ments, to  isolate  them,  to  put  them  into  action,  and  to  increase 
the  power  and  rapidity  of  their  actions.  By  experience,  then, 
he  will  have  only  to  acquire  the  habit  of  true  and  timely  action 
to  be  in  full  possession  of  his  powers  as  a  rider  and  to  be  able 
to  overcome  all  difficulties. 

Ill 

USE  OF  THE  AIDS 

When  the  rider  knows  the  means  of  control  and  is  master 
of  them,  he  has  only  to  apply  them  with  tact. 

It  is  solely  the  application  of  the  means  of  control  which 
decides  and  regulates  the  movement,  and  directs  it  towards 
the  accomplishment  of  a  desired  purpose. 

Practice  in  the  use  of  the  aids  gives  birth  to  the  feel  of  the 
horse  (le  sentiment  du  cheval)  and  equestrian  tact. 

The  feel  of  the  ho7'se  enables  the  rider  to  judge  the  degree 
of  submission  or  of  resistance  of  his  mount. 

Equestrian  tact  regulates  the  degree  of  force  used  by  the 
rider.  It  leads  him  to  determine  the  effect  to  produce,  the 
intensity  of  that  effect,  and  the  exact  moment  to  produce  it. 
It  enables  him  to  conquer  resistance,  or  at  least  to  forestall 
them. 

The  agents  of  equestrian  tact  are  the  legs  and  the  hands. 

Tact  of  the  Legs.  The  legs  can  act  only  in  one  direc- 
tion.   In  their  use,  then,  there  is  only  a  question  of  intensity; 


—29— 

which  the  aid  of  the  spur  renders  more  powerful.  Neverthe- 
less, without  entering  into  a  study  of  the  mechanism  of  the 
gaits,  which  is  not  in  the  domain  of  secondary  equitation,  the 
rider,  by  his  seat  can  have  a  certain  feeling  of  the  movements 
which  constitute  the  raising,  suspensio7i,  and  planting  of  the 
feet ;  he  can  profit  by  this  to  hasten  or  retard  their  play,  inter- 
rupt their  combinations,  and  hence  to  correct  or  modify  the 
gaits. 

Tact  of  the  Hand.  The  study  of  the  action  of  the  reins 
has  determined  their  theoretical  effects,  but  these  effects  may 
produce  very  different  results  according  to  the  qualities  of 
the  hand  which  provokes  them. 

The  qualities  of  a  good  hand  are  steadiness,  lightness,  soft- 
ness, firmness. 

To  have  a  steady  hand  does  not  mean  that  the  hand  shall 
remain  immovable ;  it  should,  on  the  contrary,  move  up,  down, 
to  the  right,  and  left,  according  to  need,  but  in  the  execution 
of  this,  it  should  be  free  from  all  involuntary  or  useless 
movement. 

Steadiness  of  hand  is  the  first  quality  to  be  sought,  and  is 
the  most  important  of  all  for  without  it,  the  others  cannot  be 
fully  developed.  The  unsteady  hand  can  have  neither  light- 
ness, softness,nor  firmness;  its  indications  are  uncertain  and 
the  most  attentive  horse  can  not  obey  its  incoherent  action. 

The  light  harid  maintains  the  merest  contact  with  the 
horse's  mouth. 

The  soft  hand  gives  support  (le  soutien). 

The  firm  hand  gives  a  frank,  decided  bearing  (un  appui). 

The  hand  should  know  how  to  resist  authoritatively  when 
necessary,  but  should  yield  as  soon  as  the  resistance  of  the 
mouth  disappears,  and  should  return  to  softness  which  is 
always  the  bond  or  union  between  lightness  and  firmness.  It 
Is  in  this  sense  that  a  good  hand  has  been  defined  as  a  "force 
in  the  fingers  equal  to  the  resistance  of  the  horse,  but  never 
greater."     (De  Lancosme-Breves.) 

Actions  of  the  hand  vary  in  extent  and  intensity  with  the 
degree  of  training  of  the  horse.    Wide  and  well  defined  with 


—so- 
young  horses,  to  clearly  express  the  rider's  intentions,  they 
should  be  reduced,  gradually  almost  to  invisibility  as  training 
progresses. 

At  the  beginning,  the  forearm,  wrist,  and  hand  participate 
in  the  action  of  the  rein  aids.  With  a  trained  horse,  however, 
it  is  only  by  a  closing  more  or  less  energetic,  or  by  an  opening, 
more  or  less  complete,  of  the  fingers  that  the  rider  transmits 
his  will.  Effects  of  traction,  pidling,  sometimes  even  of  force, 
are  through  education  finally  succeeded  by  effects  of  mere 
indication. 

To  sum  up,  equestrian  tact  consists  in  choosing  the  correct 
determining  and  regulating  aids,  in  assigning  to  each  its 
proper  action,  resistance,  or  passivity,  and  then  by  means  of 
the  aids,  causing  the  effect  to  fall  upon  the  point  selected, 
(keeping  in  mind  the  seats  of  resistance  which  are  the  mouth, 
shoulders  and  haunches)  and  as  nearly  as  possible  at  the 
instant  desired,  so  as  to  take  advantage  of  the  laws  of  balance 
and  locomotion. 

The  role  of  the  instructor  is  here  much  restricted  because, 
not  riding  the  horse  himself,  many  resistances  escape  his  ob- 
servation. The  pupil  must,  therefore,  redouble  his  efforts  to 
be  honest  with  himself  as  to  his  faults.  If  he  does  not  judge 
his  own  actions  properly  he  will  make  no  progress.  It  is 
practice,  founded  on  sound  principles  that  should  be  his  real 
teacher. 


-^1- 


Chapter  III 
SUPERIOR   EQUITATION 

EDUCATION  OF  THE  OFFICER 

Superior  equitation  is  only  the  normal  development  and 
exact  application,  in  the  use  of  the  horse,  of  the  principles 
which  serve  as  a  basis  for  the  instruction  of  troopers  and  non- 
commissioned officers.  It  is  the  specialized  teaching  of  The 
Cavalry  School  and  is  addressed  always  to  a  select  personnel. 
Its  object  is  to  develop  the  spirit  of  eneterprise  in  officers  and 
to  make  them  competent  instructors,  well  versed  in  the  various 
requirements  of  their  role. 

From  the  theoretical  point  of  view,  this  instruction  includes 
a  knowledge  of  the  teachings  of  the  most  famous  schools  of 
equitation,  as  well  as  the  diverse  methods  of  training  enunci- 
ated by  them.  It  also  comprises  a  thorough  study  of  all  subjects 
of  which  a  true  horseman  should  have  knowledge. 

In  practice,  besides  the  boldest  riding,  it  involves  a  thorough 
study  of  the  employment  of  the  horse  based  upon  logical 
principles,  as  well  as  the  application  of  the  known  laws  and 
m.ethods  which  have  for  their  object  the  training  of  the  horse. 

Superior  equitation  also  teaches  the  man  to  preserve,  in  the 
midst  of  the  greatest  difficulties,  a  seat  of  perfect  form  and 
security,  and  an  exactness  and  "finesse"  in  the  application  of 
the  aids,  together  with  an  absolute  understanding  of  their  use ; 
and  finally,  the  ease  and  correctness  of  position  which  prove 
the  rider's  self-control  and  his  freedom  from  all  self-conscious- 
ness. 

It  seeks  in  the  horse  perfect  calmness  and  obedience, 
constant  impulsion  in  the  forward  movement,  an  absolutely 
straight  position  and  lightness  in  all  movements. 

Without  including  the  teachings  of  the  "high  school"  it 
nevertheless  borrows  certain  of  the  airs  pertaining  to  higher 
equitation,  such  as  two  tracks  and  the  change  of  lead,  the 
practice  of  which  marks  a  further  degree  of  submission  of  the 


—32— 

horse  to  the  aids,  while  developing  in  the  rider,  to  a  higher 
degree,  equestrian  tact  and  the  feeling  of  the  horse. 

In  imposing  upon  both  horse  and  rider,  precision  of  move- 
ment, perfection  of  position  and  gracefulness,  superior  equita- 
tion follows  the  traditions  which  are  the  fundamentals  of  the 
French  School.  The  qualities  which  it  develops  are  a  powerful 
element  of  discipline  because  they  increase  the  prestige  of  the 
officer  and  strengthen  his  authority  by  enabling  him  to  prove 
his  superiority  in  the  daily  work  of  his  command. 

PART  II 
EDUCATION  OF  THE   HORSE 

Chapter  I 

THE  RIDING   HORSE 

Qualities  of  the  Riding  Horse.  The  military  mount 
should  be  able  to  carry  considerable  weight,  march  rapidly  and 
over  long  distances,  have  endurance,  hardiness,  and  handiness. 
These  qualities  are  derived  from  natural  balance,  gaits,  con- 
formation and  quality. 

Natural  balance  allows  the  horse  to  remain  always  master 
of  his  strength,  to  be  able  to  use  it  under  the  rider's  weight, 
to  pass  easily  from  a  slow  to  a  fast  gait  and  conversely,  to  have 
supplenss  of  action,  or  in  other  words,  the  natural  character- 
istics which  make  him  easy  to  ride  from  the  beginning. 

Usage  alone  proves  the  value  of  a  horse;  experience,  how- 
ever, allows  the  establishment  of  general  rules  which  guide  in 
determining  the  good  points  to  seek  in  the  colt  and  in  estimat- 
ing his  quality. 

If  the  horse's  back  slopes  slightly  upward  towards  the  croup, 
his  withers  well  shaped  a  little  higher  than  the  croup,  and  his 
chest  well  let  down  so  as  to  hold  the  girth  away  from  the 
elbows,  the  saddle  will  remain  in  place.  The  rider  and  pack, 
located  between  the  two  pans  of  the  scale  as  it  were,  will  not 
interfere  with  the  horse's  equilibrium  nor  bruise  the  shoulders. 
This  conformation,  together  with  a  good  direction  of  the  hocks,. 


—33— 

makes  the  horse  naturally  manageable  and  facilitates  his  con- 
trol in  combat.  In  daily  work  the  strain  is  distributed  properly 
over  all  the  springs  of  the  machine,  so  that  no  part  is  worn 
out  prematurely. 

His  gaits  should  allow  him  to  cover  the  maximum  distance 
with  a  minimum  of  effort.  This  requirement  excludes  high 
action  in  favor  of  the  flowing  extended  strides  which  are  the 
least  fatiguing  for  horse  and  rider. 

The  trot  is  the  principal  marching  gait,  the  gallop  is  the  gait 
of  combat.  More  than  ever  the  present  necessities  of  war  re- 
quire a  prolonged  and  rapid  gait.  The  military  horse  should 
be,  above  all  else,  a  galloper. 

A  relatively  long  ischium  is  a  characteristic  of  the  galloper. 
(Fig.  I.) 

Activity  is  indispensable  for  a  cross-country  horse. 

It  is  characteristic  with  horses  having  a  wide  angle  between 
the  humerus  and  scapulum  and  with  powerful  hind  quarters. 


A  long,  sloping  shoulder  blade,  withers  of  good  height  and 
direction  place  the  weight  of  the  rider  properly,  thereby  as- 
sisting the  horse  in  maintaining  his  balance,  but  it  is  the  length 
and  verticality  of  the  humerus  rather  than  the  direction  of  the 
shoulder  which  gives  freedom  of  gaits  and  leads  to  agility  by 
facilitating  the  placing  of  the  forefeet. 

The  power  of  the  hindquarters,  the  source  of  propulsion  for 
either  forward  or  retrograde  movements,  enables  the  horse  to 


-34— 


move  his  mass  at  will,  and  consequently  renders  him  master  of 
his  equilibrium;  it  gives  him  free  use  of  his  hocks  to  engage 
or  extend  them,  it  permits  him  to  regain  lost  balance,  to  take 
his  entire  weight  on  his  haunches,  or  to  lengthen  his  stride 
according  to  circumstances;  in  a  word,  he  is  made  master  of 
his  direction  and  speed. 


ocuAauXuA.^ 


-^>VA,xwtt  t*  ^^A/ 


'ovj;ol£.  utvUtroia 


■--tt^t^ 


<i   \A>lAXpit.YS 


Otcd^wJLo -"-/yvvvn-CvruX  O/wcXc 


iircuC  X*A-vej\L»l/. 


Finally,  his  confidence  in  his  long  sloping  shoulders  permits 
him  to  land  lightly  and  without  apparent  effort  after  taking 
an  obstacle,  but  it  is  the  extension  of  his  hindquarters  which 
gives  him  the  necessary  power  to  clear  it.  The  ilium,  then,  for 
the  riding  horse  must  be  wide,  (Fig.  3.)  that  is  to  say,  the 
outer  angle  (at  the  point  of  the  hip)  well  defined;  the  inner 
angle  high  and  above  the  lumbar  vertebrae.  This  conformation 
of  the  loin  is  characteristic  of  Irish  horses  and  is  commonly 
called  "the  bump  of  jumping,"  though  why  it  should  be  an  aid 
tj  jumping  is  unknown. 

The  Model.  If  we  add  to  these  qualifications  a  neck,  prefer- 
ably long,  but  of  greater  importance — well  "set  on"  (junction 
of  cervical  and  dorsal  vertebrae),  and  withers,  the  processes  of 
which  are  prolonged  far  to  the  rear,  we  have  the  model  of  a 
horse  which  is  the  ideal  sought. 


-35- 


m     \  ^ 


f\\  oCvvV  ot  ^<J  Crc  ^ 


/?.. 


i^-^** 


One  of  the  first  qualities  of  the  saddle  horse  is  the  ability  to 
carry  his  saddle  properly,  that  is,  with  the  girth  resting  well 
behind  the  elbows. 

The  other  points  of  beauty  and  strength  are  a  well-shaped 
bead,  above  all,  well  attached  to  the  neck. 

A  large  intelligent  eye ; 

A  neck,  well  proportioned  and  well  set  on ; 

Withers,  prominent,  sloping  far  to  the  rear,  and  a  little 
higher  than  the  croup ; 

A  sloping  shoulder ; 

Humerus  long  and  well  let  down ; 

Forearm  powerful,  long,  wide  and  muscled; 

The  chest  ogival  and  deep ; 

The  back  wide  and  muscular. 

The  loin  short  and  wide,  with  good  muscles  behind  the 
saddle ; 

The  croup  symmetrical,  long,  slightly  inclined,  and  mus- 
cular; 

Hips  v/ide  and  prominent ; 


—36— 

The  muscles  of  the  buttocks,  thighs,  and  gaskins  well  de- 
veloped, and  descending  as  low  as  possible ; 

The  flank  short  and  full ; 

Knees  low,  wide,  thick,  and  clean ; 

Cannons  strong  and  short ; 

Hocks  wide,  straight,  and  well  let  down ; 

The  feet  tough  and  dry,  correctly  sloped,  symmetrical  den- 
sity in  all  tissue. 

These  points  taken  together  will  generally  favor  balance  as 
well  as  the  useful  gaits  of  the  horse,  which  are  a  walk,  free  and 
extended;  a  trot,  starting  from  the  shoulder,  long,  easy,  and 
regular ;  a  gallop,  sweeping,  powerful,  and  extended. 

Quality.  Quality  results  from  the  power  and  resistance  of 
the  organs  in  the  fulfillment  of  their  functions — from  the 
blood  which  supplies  energy  for  the  resistance  by  the  organ- 
isms to  the  ordinary  causes  of  weakness,  and  from  "bottom" 
which  is  endurance  under  any  usage. 

Good  character  alone  permits  a  complete  utilization  of 
quality. 

Quality  in  the  horse  is  derived  from  various  sources.  It  is 
influenced  by  substantial  feeding  from  an  early  age.  Some 
limestone  regions  increase  the  gro\\i;h  of  bone  and  the  density 
of  tissue  in  horses  born  or  raised  there ;  but  above  all,  quality 
results  from  the  breedirig  of  the  horse. 

The  Breeding.  The  Army  requires  a  comfortable,  strongly 
limbed  type  of  horse,  capable  of  carrying  weight.  It  should 
have  the  qualities  of  endurance,  energy,  and  speed  which  the 
thoroughbred  stallion  alone  transmits. 

The  pedigree  of  the  horse  should  therefore  show  a  consider- 
able number  of  thoroughbred  ancestors.  In  breeding,  the  blood 
lines  of  the  sire  and  dam  should  be  carefully  considered  so  as 
to  secui'e  the  proportion  of  blood  to  produce  the  qualities  de- 
sired, thoroughbred  to  keep  up  the  "blood'  and  half-bred  to 
provide  substance. 

Relation  Between  Breeding  and  Training.  The  Anglo 
Arab  race,  the  result  of  crossings  of  the  hardy  native  Arab, 


—37— 

with  the  thoroughbred  or  half-bred  Anglo-Arab,  produces  re- 
markable riding  horses. 

The  coach  horse  breeds,  bred  for  their  trotting  ability,  only 
occasionally  transmit  to  their  descendants  the  balance  and 
gaits  necessary  for  the  riding  horse.  Many  of  them  are  found, 
however,  amongst  the  cavalry  remounts. 

The  "quality"  of  the  colt  has  a  great  influence  therefore,  on 
the  ease  or  difficulty  of  his  training.  The  education  of  horses 
bred  for  the  saddle,  is  a  quick  and  easy  matter. 

His  training  can  be  almost  entirely  obtained  by  a  well- 
ordered  course  while  putting  him  in  condition. 

The  natural  balance  of  the  horse  makes  him  manageable;  he 
is  free  from  pain,  and  therefore  sets  up  no  resistance.  The 
simple  execution  of  the  ordinary  movements  suffices  to  make 
him  obedient  to  the  aids,  at  the  same  time  to  strengthen  him. 

On  the  contrary,  with  horses  lacking  the  necessary  aptitude, 
training  presents  more  difficulty.  It  consists  in  seeking,  find- 
ing, and  demanding  such  a  position  as  will  lead  to  better 
balance  and  which  will  best  favor  impulsion,  cause  a  better 
distribution  of  the  natural  forces,  overcome  physical  defects, 
and  change,  by  means  of  repeated  lessons,  his  natural  apti- 
tudes, so  as  to  favor  greater  returns. 

Chapter  II 

Generalties.  Quality  and  gentleness  are  essential  elements 
in  the  cavalry  horse. 

They  can  be  obtained,  or  at  least  largely  developed  by  the 
care  given  to  the  education  of  the  young  horses. 

Influence  and  Responsibility  of  the  Commanding  Of- 
ficer. The  colonel  facilitates,  by  every  means  at  his  command, 
a  systematic  and  complete  course  of  training  which  must  be 
considered  as  the  foundation  of  the  mounted  efficiency  of  the 
regiment.  By  frequent  inspections,  by  reward  and  encourage- 
ment of  all  kinds  accorded  to  officers  and  soldiers  who  dis- 
tinguish themselves  in  horse  training,  the  colonel  exercises  a 
personal  influence  on  the  nature  of  the  results  obtained.     He 


—38— 

gives  orders  for  the  proper  maintenance  of  riding  halls,  pre- 
scribes regulations  for  out-door  riding  squares,  and  provides 
for  the  construction  on  the  drill  grounds,  of  paths  on  which 
horses  may  be  galloped  in  all  weather. 

Together  with  the  Department  of  Public  Works,  he  controls 
the  upkeep  of  the  soft  paths  which  follow  the  national  and 
departmental  highways.  He  thus  testifies,  by  the  large  share 
of  responsibilities  which  he  assumes,  to  the  importance  which 
he  attaches  to  he  success  of  this  training,  and  in  consequence, 
to  the  zeal  which  everyone  should  show  in  the  work. 

No  horse  is  admitted  to  the  ranks  without  having  been 
presented  for  the  colonel's  examination  by  the  rider  who 
trained  it. 

Influence  and  Responsibility  of  the  Troop  Commander. 
In  each  troop  the  training  is  conducted  under  the  responsibility 
of  the  Captain.  All  lieutenants,  sergeants,  and  corporals  and 
certain  selected  privates  participate  in  this  work. 

The  training  given  to  young  horses  by  noncommissioned 
officers  and  privates  is  under  the  direction  of  an  officer  espec- 
ially equipped  for  this  work,  and  chosen  by  the  troop  com- 
mander. 

Qualities  of  the  Instructor  and  the  Trainers.  The 
officer  detailed  for  this  work  is  selected  from  among  those 
who  have  already  had  experience  and  possess  special  aptitude ; 
but  is  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  among  these  aptitudes,  the 
first  requirements  are  common  neyise  and  a  methodical  disposi- 
tion, without  which  the  most  brilliant  qualities  will  fail  to 
produce  good  results,  and  may  even  prove  harmful. 

During  training  the  young  horse  should  be  always  mounted 
by  the  same  rider.  A  series  of  conventions  between  man  and 
horse,  results  from  this  constant  association,  which  when  em- 
ployed serve  as  a  starting  point  in  the  education  of  the  horse. 
Training  takes  precedence  over  all  other  troop  work  excepting 
recruit  instruction.  For  this  reason,  soldiers  employed  there- 
on are  relieved  from  guard  and  fatigue  duty  while  the  work 
lasts. 


—39— 

The  soldiers  employed  for  breaking  are  chosen  from  among 
those  who  love  horses,  like  to  care  for  them,  and  who  are 
known  for  their  patience  and  gentleness. 

The  noncommissioned  officers  and  men  conducting  training 
should,  in  addition  to  being  horse  lovers,  be  well  instructed 
and  skillful  riders,  else  there  can  be  no  hope  of  success.  In 
fact  it  requires  a  well-trained  horse  to  make  a  good  rider,  like- 
wise, only  a  skillful  rider  is  capable  of  training  a  horse. 

Care  Given  on  Arrival  in  the  Regiment.  On  arriving  in 
the  regiment,  young  horses  are  quarantined  and  placed  for 
several  days  under  the  supervision  of  the  senior  veterinarian, 
who  watches  their  state  of  health;  this  quarantine  is  main- 
tained only  as  long  as  necessary.  They  are  then  issued  to  the 
troops  to  which  assigned,  grouped  in  each  stable  and  submitted 
to  a  special  regime,  for  the  purpose  of  acclimatization. 

The  preliminary  objectives  in  their  care  and  training  are  to 
maintain  their  health,  to  mold  their  temperaments  to  the  re- 
quirements of  military  life,  to  strengthen  them  by  well  regu- 
lated feeding  and  exercise,  to  make  them  accustomed  to  man, 
to  familiarize  them  with  shoeing,  grooming,  saddling  and 
bridling,  as  well  as  with  the  weight  of  the  rider. 

Object  of  the  Education  of  the  Young  Horse.  The  les- 
sons in  training  are  given  sometimes  in  groups  and  sometimes 
singly,  taking  into  consideration  the  skill  and  experience  of 
the  riders,  the  character  of  the  animals,  and  the  exigencies  of 
the  service,  time,  and  the  surroundings. 

Troop  horses,  to  be  regarded  as  completely  trained,  should 
be  able  to  execute  everything  prescribed  in  the  school  of  the 
trooper,  and  especially,  they  should  be  perfectly  quiet  to  mount, 
should  move  freely  and  true  on  a  straight  line,  be  manageable 
at  all  gaits  and  in  all  changes  of  direction.  They  should  jump 
or  pass  obstacles  of  all  nature,  endure  the  pressure  of  the  rank, 
leave  it  freely,  bear  all  parts  of  the  equipment,  not  be  fright- 
ened at  the  sight  or  sound  of  objects  out-of-doors,  and  be 
accustomed  to  the  use  of  arms. 


-40— 


The  very  numerous  means  of  training  are  left  to  the  initia- 
tive of  each  instructor,  but  they  should  all  proceed  from  two 
fundamental  principles: — the  establishment  of  the  confidence 
of  the  horse,  and  the  methodical  progression  of  requirements 
on  the  part  of  the  rider,  based  upon  the  association  of 
sensations. 

There  are  numerous  means  of  establishing  confidence,  of 
which  the  most  useful  are  caresses,  rest  following  the  least 
sign  of  obedience,  relaxation  of  the  reins  and  legs,  passing 
to  the  walk  after  a  fast  gait,  or  even  dismounting  after  a 
difficult  result  is  obtained. 

One  should  never  lose  sight  of  the  benefit  to  be  derived  from 
making  the  training  progress  methodically  and  without  haste. 

Nevertheless  genetleness  and  patience  must  not  exclude 
firmness.  Persistence  in  the  use  of  the  aids,  energetic  use  of 
the  legs  or  spurs,  and,  in  exceptional  cases,  the  riding  whip,  the 
longeing  whip  and  cavesson,  are  means  which  may  be  em- 
ployed upon  those  horses  whose  disposition  requires  them  to 
be  dominated. 

The  occasions  on  which  any  of  these  means  should  be  em- 
ployed, and  the  proportion  in  which  they  should  be  combined 
cannot  be  laid  down  in  rules ;  the  tact  of  the  trainer  is  shown 
by  their  judicious  application.  However,  the  officer  charged 
with  the  training  exercises  a  constant  and  strict  supervision 
over  the  manner  in  which  the  riders  use  the  various  means 
given  them  to  secure  the  submission  of  the  horse. 

At  the  end  of  a  course  of  training,  the  condition  of  the 
horses,  the  cleanness  of  their  limbs,  and  their  good  dispositions 
are  the  best  criterion  of  the  skill  with  which  the  work  has  been 
directed. 

Divisions.  Breaking  and  Training.  The  education  of  the 
young  horses  should  continue  for  two  years.  Experience  has 
proven  the  absolute  necessity  for  this  rule  under  the  present 
conditions  of  raising  horses,  and  it  should  not  be  disregarded, 
except  in  case  of  mobilization. 

The  preparation  of  the  troop  horse  for  his  career  comprises 


—41— 

two   periods,   each  corresponding  to  a  definite   and   distinct 
objective. 

(1)  Breaking,  to  which  is  devoted  the  first  military  year 
of  the  colt  (4  or  5  years  old)  ;  its  object  is  his  physical  de- 
velopment, which  is  obtained  by  appropriate  work,  and  the 
formation  of  his  character. 

(2)  Training,  properly  speaking,  to  which  his  second  mili- 
tary year  is  devoted  (5  to  6  years  old)  has  as  its  objective  his 
complete  submission  to  the  aids. 

These  two  years,  in  spite  of  their  special  denomination,  do 
not  constitute  two  clearly  divided  periods;  they  represent  to- 
gether the  necessary  time  for  the  remount  to  respond  physio- 
logically to  the  requirements  of  military  service.  The  words 
breaking  and  training,  nevertheless,  each  carries  its  own  idea 
which  constantly  reminds  the  instructors  of  the  great  dif- 
ference in  the  work  which  an  immature  colt  may  endure  and 
the  requirements  which  may  be  made  upon  a  horse  of  6  years. 
One  should  submit  the  young  horse  to  the  necessarily  severe 
gymnastics  of  training  only  when  his  "morale"  on  the  one 
hand,  and  his  physical  development  on  the  other,  allow  him  to 
undergo  it  without  fatigue. 

The  progression  observed  in  the  exercises,  to  which  the 
young  horse  is  submitted  in  his  development,  constitutes  a  true 
conditioning,  with  laws,  principles,  and  a  hygiene  based  upon 
the  horse's  nature  itself. 

In  training,  the  progression  is  naturally  similar  to  that  em- 
ployed in  the  instruction  of  the  rider.  This  methodical  order, 
naturally,  proceeds  from  the  simple  to  the  complicated,  it  reg- 
ulates the  demands  of  the  rider  according  to  the  ease  with 
which  the  horse  is  able  to  answer  them,  and  varies  the  com- 
binations of  the  aids  in  an  increasingly  difficult  progression. 

Care  must  be  taken,  particularly  in  the  beginning,  to  exe- 
cute the  movements  under  the  same  conditions  and  in  the  same 
manner,  until  the  horse  is  confirmed  in  his  knowledge  of  the 
rider's  demands  by  the  effect  of  repetition.  It  is  only  very 
gradually  that  an  obedience,  at  first  laborious  and  uncertain, 


—42— 

will  be  later  transformed  into  almost  instinctive  habit. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  year,  between  the  return  from  ma- 
neuvers and  the  1st  of  January,  the  "training  colts"  work  with 
the  old  horses,  during  troop  instruction,  and  thus  learn  to  obey 
different  riders.  This  forms  a  useful  transition  from  training, 
properly  speaking,  to  the  time  when  the  horses  enter  definitely 
into  service. 

Circumstances  Which  May  Influence  the  Duration  of 
THE  Education  of  the  Young  Horse.  In  the  education  of  the 
young  horse  it  is  necessary  to  take  into  consideration  certain 
conditions  which  may  greatly  influence  his  training.  Health, 
age,  race,  previous  feeding  and  work,  character,  and  natural 
balance  or  lack  of  aptitude  for  the  saddle,  are  some  factors 
which  may  impede  or  hasten  the  progress  of  the  work. 

Certain  aged  horses  sent  directly  to  the  regiment  from  the 
remount  depots  may  be  assigned  on  their  arrival  to  the  6-year 
old  training  sections.  Others,  on  the  contrary,  and  particularly 
discarded  brood  mares  should  be  kept  in  the  breaking  sections 
until  their  development  is  sufficient. 

General  Rules.  The  instructor  must  study  and  weigh  all 
these  considerations.  He  draws  from  his  experience  the  ap- 
propriate methods  to  obtain  in  his  objectives  which  are  to  have 
the  young  horses  at  7  years  healthy,  free  from  blemish,  and 
able  to  fulfill  on  varied  ground  all  demands  of  the  soldier  in 
campaign. 

The  instructor  will  be  guided  by  the  principles  set  forth  and 
developed  in  Chapter  IV  of  the  second  part  of  this  work,  and 
by  the  following  rules,  which  should  be  constantly  in  mind : 

Never  commence  work  without  being  absolutely  sure  of 
what  is  to  be  done. 

Proceed,  in  the  education  of  the  horse,  from  the  known  to 
the  unknown,  from  the  simple  to  the  complicated. 

Always  use  exactly  the  same  effects  to  obtain  the  same 
results. 

Remember  that  in  the  execution  of  every  movement,  position 
should  precede  action. 


-^43— 

Never  ask  anything  of  a  horse  which  is  still  under  the  im- 
pression of  a  preceding  requirement. 

Never  combat  two  resistances  at  once. 

Do  not  confound  the  rider's  lack  of  skill  with  the  ignorance 
or  bad  will  of  the  horse. 

Demand  the  7ieiv  step  at  the  end  of  the  lesson.  Pat  the  horse 
and  dismount. 

Aside  from  these  rules  it  must  be  remembered  that  during 
the  whole  course  of  the  young  horse's  education  one  must  be 
content  with  a  little  progress  every  day;  demand  that,  but  no 
more. 

Chapter  III 
BREAKING 

Objects  in  Breaking.  The  objectives  in  breaking  are :  1st. 
To  obtain  by  hygiene,  feeding  and  work,  the  complete  develop- 
ment of  the  physical  forces  of  the  young  horse. 

2nd.  To  give  him  the  elementary  ideas  of  the  aids  and  to 
prepare  him  for  submission  to  their  discipline. 

Its  principal  objective,  then,  as  stated,  is  to  progressively 
I-'ut  the  colt  in  condition.  The  various  steps  through  which  the 
colt  has  passed,  including  the  time  spent  in  the  remount  depot, 
where  he  has  undergone  a  certain  amount  of  work,  serve  as  the 
beginning  of  this  conditioning,  and  facilitate  breaking. 

Certain  military  and  physiological  requirements  necessitate 
the  division  of  breaking  into  several  phases,  each  phase  having 
an  object  imposed  by  these  requirements. 

Phases.    The  dates  which  fix  these  steps  are : 

1st.  The  beginning  of  January,  by  which  time  the  gentling 
should  be  accomplished. 

2nd.  The  early  part  of  March,  when  he  undergoes  periods 
of  drills  for  mobilization ; 

3rd.  The  departure  for  maneuvers  (the  middle  of  August), 
which  marks  the  end  of  breaking  and  provides  an  almost  com- 
plete rest. 


The  periods  of  shedding  and  when  the  horses  are  put  on 
grass,  complete  the  series  of  landmarks  which  will  appear 
again  in  the  second  year. 

Importance  of  Work.  Work  is  the  most  important  factor 
in  breaking.  Besides  the  role  which  it  plays  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  organs  Of  the  young  horse,  it  is  the  means  by  which 
his  health  is  regulated  and  character  developed. 

If  the  young  horse  does  not  work  enough,  he  becomes  too  fat, 
too  playful;  he  blemishes  himself  under  his  own  weight,  in- 
creased by  that  of  the  man,  and  he  spoils  his  mouth  by 
struggling  against  the  hand  that  seeks  to  hold  him  down. 

Nevertheless,  the  colt  should  be  in  rather  high  condition. 

He  should  have  long  slow  rides  out-of-doors  (one  and  a  half 
hours  at  least)  and  shorter  ones  in  the  riding  hall  (a  half 
hour) . 

The  use  of  felt  or  flannel  boots  is  recommended  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  legs,  especially  during  work  on  the  longe.    ^. 

Work  Not  Mounted.  Leading.  Leading  at  the  side  of  old 
horses  during  the  first  few  days  is  an  excellent  exercise,  per- 
mitting the  colt  to  expend  h.is  energy  without  danger  to  his 
legs,  to  become  accustomed  to  outside  objects,  and  to  become 
calm,  which  is  indispensable  to  his  progress.  Numerous  oc- 
casions when  it  is  necessary  to  lead  military  horses,  make  this 
a  useful  lesson,  though  it  is  not  necessary  to  keep  it  up  very 
long.  In  these  walks,  the  colts  should  be  led  first  on  one  hand, 
then  on  the  other  to  avoid  always  bending  the  neck  to  the  same 
side. 

Work  on  the  Longe.  The  results  to  be  sought  during  the 
first  phase  are :  Obedience  to  the  longe,  immobility  while  be- 
ing mounted,  to  bear  the  weight  of  the  rider  and  to  move  out 
freely  and  straight  to  the  front  in  the  new  equilibrium  imposed 
by  the  addition  of  the  rider's  weight. 

Work  on  the  longe  is  most  useful  in  training.  It  familiarizes 
the  horse  with  man,  while  revealing  the  latter's  strength  as  his 
master,  and  thus  he  learns  his  first  ideas  of  obedience. 


—4b— 

The  longe  permits  him  to  be  worked  at  fast  gaits  without 
fatigue,  to  expend  his  energy'  when  he  cannot  be  mounted  or 
when  his  rider  is  absent;  if  vicious,  to  be  dominated  by  hard 
work,  without  fear  of  injuring  him.  Work  on  the  longe  is  the 
basis  of  training  for  taking  obstacles.  One  should  profit  by 
the  authority  which  it  gives  the  man  over  the  horse  to  ac- 
custom him  to  being  girthed,  to  carry  the  saber,  for  the  first 
mounting  lessons  (with  difficult  horses)  and  finally  to  teach 
him  to  range  the  haunches  by  use  of  the  riding  whip. 

All  horses  should  be  perfectly  trained  in  this  work. 

The  cavesson  used  for  this  work  should  be  wide  enough,  well 
stuffed,  padded  and  adjusted  so  that  in  working  on  a  circle, 
the  cheek  strap  cannot  injure  the  eye  on  the  outside.  The 
noseband  should  be  placed  high  enough  not  to  hinder  his 
breathing,  and  should  be  snug  so  that  its  action  on  the  nose 
will  not  be  too  violent. 

The  longeing  whip  is  held  butt  to  the  front,  in  the  right  hand 
w  hen  the  horse  works  to  the  left,  and  vice  versa.  It  is  kept  out 
of  sight  as  much  as  possible,  should  serve  only  to  threaten  or 
to  give  light  touches  only,  and  should  never  have  a  lash  on  the 
end. 

The  first  lessons  are  of  such  importance  that  they  should  be 
given  by  the  instructor  himself,  or  by  noncommissioned  officers 
of  experience  and  proven  skill.  If  these  lessons  are  well  given, 
they  are  reduced  to  a  few  periods  of  short  duration. 

The  instructor  grasps  the  longe  with  his  right  hand,  18 
inches  from  the  horse's  head ;  the  remainder  of  the  longe,  fold- 
ed in  figure  of  eights,  is  held  in  the  left  hand. 

After  giving  the  horse  confidence  by  petting,  the  instructor 
moves  forward,  pulling  lightly  on  the  longe,  at  the  same  time 
clucking  to  the  horse;  he  moves  thus,  accompanied  by  the 
horse,  around  the  riding  hall  or  inclosure,  tracing  straight 
Imes  and  gradually  making  more  abrupt  changes  of  direction. 
He  stops  frequently,  saying  "Whoa,"  pats  the  horse,  then 
passes  to  the  off  side,  changes  the  longe  in  his  hands,  and  re- 
peats the  lesson  to  the  right  hand. 


-46- 


If  the  horse  moves  forward  at  the  cluck  of  the  tongue,  stops 
at  command,  and  moves  willingly  without  pulling,  the  instruc- 
tor stops  moving  on  straight  lines,  lets  the  longe  slide  a  little, 
and  puts  the  horse  on  a  small  circle  of  2  or  3  yards  radius.  He 
avails  himself  of  the  longeing  whip  or  riding  whip  if  necessary, 
and  himself  moves  on  a  concentric  circle,  a  little  in  rear  of  the 
horse's  shoulders,  so  as  to  keep  him  moving.  He  will  often 
stop  the  horse,  go  to  him  and  pat  him,  and  then  move  him  for- 
ward again. 

In  the  same  manner  the  horse  is  worked  in  the  circle  to  the 
other  hand.  If  the  horse  hesitates  to  move  forward,  the  in- 
structor slips  to  the  rear  and  in  toward  the  croup,  at  the  same 
time  yielding  with  the  hand  which  holds  the  longe.  If  need  be, 
an  assistant  may  help  him.  The  important  thing  is  not  to  be 
abrupt  with  the  horse,  and  not,  by  frightening  him,  to  run  the 
risk  of  making  him  pull. 

When  the  horse  moves  easily  on  the  small  circle,  to  either 
hand,  calmly  at  the  walk,  the  rest  of  the  training  is  easy. 

The  instructor  makes  the  horse  take  the  trot,  and  then  the 
gallop.  To  quicken  the  gait  he  uses  the  voice  or  shows  the 
whip.  At  the  beginning  he  always  accompanies  the  horse  in 
his  circular  movement,  keeping  towards  the  rear,  even 
with  the  haunches.  If  he  wishes  to  stop  the  horse  he  moves 
toward  the  shoulders ;  it  is  only  very  gradually  that  he  reduces 
his  own  circle  until  finally  he  stands  practically  immobile. 

The  length  of  the  radius  varies  according  to  the  extension  of 
the  gait.  A  slow  trot  on  a  small  circle  furnishes  an  excellent 
gymnastic  for  the  colt.  On  the  other  hand,  the  extended  trot 
or  gallop  on  a  small  circle,  would  cramp  him  and  be  dangerous 
for  a  young  horse  with  soft  joints. 

If  the  remount  escapes  abruptly,  the  trainer  must,  after 
having  yielded  freely  to  his  movement,  resist  with  the  hand 
and  bring  him  back  gradually. 

If  the  horse  stops,  the  whip  may  be  pointed  toward  the  croup 
to  cause  him  to  move  forward.  If  he  cuts  in  on  the  circle  the 
whip  may  be  pointed  toward  the  shoulders  to  force  him  out. 


—47— 

If  the  horse  pulls  violently  on  the  longe  at  fast  gaints,  it  is 
because  his  training  has  proceeded  too  fast  in  the  beginning. 
Rest  him  frequently  and  recommence  the  work  at  the  walk  and 
slow  trot  on  the  small  circle. 

The  early  lessons  may  be  made  easier  by  working  in  the 
corners  of  the  riding  hall. 

The  wall  may  render  service  also  in  stopping  a  horse  which 
is  out  of  hand. 

The  voice,  loud  at  first,  should  now  obtain  the  same  obedience 
when  used  more  gently. 

The  longe  also  communicates  the  instructor's  will  to  the 
horse.  By  light  horizontal  oscillations  the  horse  is  kept  away 
from  the  center.  By  a  more  or  less  marked  traction  on  the 
longe,  one  may  slow  the  gait  or  stop  the  horse  when  he  does 
not  obey  the  voice. 

If  the  work  on  the  longe  has  been  well  conducted,  the  horse 
should  be  calm  and  regular  on  the  circle ;  pass  freely  from  one 
gait  to  another  at  the  simple  indication  of  the  voice ;  come  to- 
ward or  go  away  from  the  center  according  to  the  liberty 
accorded;  in  a  word,  be  on  the  hand  (in  contact)  through  the 
medium  of  the  lightly  stretched  longe,  as  later  on  he  should 
be,  through  the  lightly  stretched  rein. 

Accustoming  to  the  Saddle.  When  the  horse  has  been 
calmed  by  work  and  is  perfectly  gentle  on  the  cavesson,  the 
trainer  may  profit  by  that  condition  to  gradually  induce  him  to 
bear  the  girths,  a  lesson  which  might  prove  difficult  if  attempt- 
ed in  the  stable. 

The  saddle  is  put  on  at  first  without  stirrups  or  stirrup 
straps.  The  girth  is  quite  loose  at  first,  and  then  tightened 
gradually  during  the  work.  When  the  horse  is  accustomed  to 
the  contact  of  saddle  and  girth,  the  stirrups  are  added  and 
allowed  to  hang  down  on  each  side  while  the  horse  moves  at 
the  walk  and  trot. 

He  is  thus  prepared  for  the  mounting  lesson,  which  becomes 
an  easy  operation.  It  is  a  fact  that  defenses  nearly  always 
result  when  young  horses  are  saddled  and  mounted  for  the 
first  time,  on  the  same  day. 


—48— 

Mounting  Lesson.  The  instructor  determines  according  to 
circumstances,  the  most  opportune  moment  for  giving  the 
mounting  lesson,  but  he  profits  by  the  fatigued  condition  of  the 
remount  at  the  end  of  a  work  period,  at  which  time  the  colt  is 
most  apt  to  be  calm. 

The  lesson  may  be  given  also  during  the  work  on  the  longe, 
but  only  after  the  horse  has  been  relaxed  by  the  exercise  of 
longeing.  He  personally  directs  the  first  mounting  lesson, 
which  is  given  to  each  horse  individually  and  displays  the 
greatest  calmness  and  patience  in  this  lesson. 

Accompanied  by  an  assistant  carrying  a  basket  of  oats  if 
need  be,  the  instructor  places  himself  squarely  in  front  of  the 
horse  and  pats  him ;  he  takes  hold  of  him  only  in  case  of  neces- 
sity. The  rider  approaches  the  horse's  head,  pats  him  on  the 
forehead,  over  the  eyes,  on  the  neck  and  haunches.  He  slaps 
the  saddle,  lowers  and  raises  the  stirrups,  then  takes  the  reins, 
leaving  them  very  long.  He  mounts  smoothly  without  hesita- 
tion or  hurry.  If,  during  the  lesson,  the  horse  moves  out  of 
place  or  backs  away,  the  trainer  comes  back  to  the  head,  draws 
him  forward  with  the  snaffle  reins  and  quietly  begins  again. 

When  putting  his  foot  in  the  stirrup  the  rider  is  careful  to 
point  his  toe  downward  so  as  to  avoid  touching  the  horse's  side 
which  might  disturb  him.  He  should  not  pause  after  raising 
himself  in  the  stirrup  for.  when  his  entire  weight  is  in  the 
stirrup  on  one  side  it  breaks  the  equilibrium  and  makes  his 
task  more  difficult.  He  should  use  his  right  hand  to  assist  him 
in  taking  the  right  stirrup ;  feeling  for  it  with  the  toe  might 
frighten  the  horse. 

Generally,  he  should  avoid  moving  the  horse  forward  as  soon 
as  he  is  in  the  saddle,  so  as  to  prevent  the  idea  of  the  forward 
movement  from  being  associated  in  the  horse's  brain,  with  that 
of  his  reception  of  the  rider's  weight. 

It  is  best  for  the  first  few  times  to  terminate  the  day's  lesson 
by  the  mounting  lesson,  so  that  the  cessation  of  work  and  his 
return  to  the  stable  may  serve  as  a  reward. 

Those  horses  that  are  found  very  difficult  are  immediately 
put  back  on  the  longe. 


-49- 


The  mounting  lesson  should  be  given  on  both  the  near  and 
off  sides.  This  phase  of  instruction  of  the  young  horse  should 
be  carried  out  very  thoroughly.  Absolute  calmness  must  be 
obtained  even  in  the  midst  of  noise  and  movement, — such  as 
might  be  expected  in  war,  when  it  might  be  most  valuable  to 
have  a  perfectly  still  horse  to  mount.  However,  it  is  well  not 
to  require  too  much  at  the  beginning. 

Training  to  Bear  the  Saber.  The  longe  may  be  utilized  to 
assist  in  accustoming  the  colt  to  the  saber,  and  as  in  general  it 
may  be  for  all  new  requirements.  It  is  wise  to  wait  until  the 
close  of  work  to  give  the  lesson. 

To  begin  with,  only  the  scabbard  is  put  on.  When  the  horse 
bears  that  without  fear,  the  saber  is  added  and  he  is  then  ex- 
ercised at  the  three  gaits.  This  work,  it  should  be  understood, 
is  interspersed  with  halts,  caresses,  and  frequent  rests. 

This,  however,  is  only  a  preliminary  step  toward  the  series 
of  exercises  which  accustom  the  horse  to  the  management  and 
use  of  the  saber  and  which  take  place  during  work  on  the  road. 

Mounted  Work.  Out-of-doors  and  in  the  Riding  Hall.  As 
soon  as  the  horse  accepts  the  rider,  his  conditioning  must  be 
begun.  This  work  of  conditioning  goes  on  without  interruption 
until  the  end  of  the  military  year — that  is,  until  the  departure 
for  maneuvers.  It  should  take  place  out-of-doors  whenever 
possible. 

The  remount  working  in  the  fresh  air  and  on  straight  lines 
naturally  acquires  his  full  strength  most  rapidly.  Nevertheless, 
the  first  sessions  should  take  place  in  the  riding  hall  to  enable 
the  instructor  to  exercise  closer  supervision,  to  give  him  a 
better  opportunity  to  study  his  men  and  horses,  and  to  avoid 
the  greater  possibility  of  accidents  outside. 

At  the  start  some  old  horses  mixed  in  with  the  colts  may 
have  a  very  good  influence  on  the  whole  section. 

The  riding  hall  is  used  also  when  the  temperature  requires 
it.  Advantage  should  be  taken  then  to  give  the  colts  the  first 
lessons  of  the  aids. 


—so- 
Elementary  Lessons  in  the  Aids.  This  preliminary  edu- 
cation is  important  in  order  to  permit  the  horse  to  be  handled 
out-of-doors.  It  consists  in  teaching  him  to  move  forward  at 
the  call  of  the  legs,  to  slow  and  stop  at  the  tension  of  the  reins, 
and  to  turn  with  the  simple  action  of  the  reins. 

The  horses  are  bitted  with  double  snaffles  when  the  resources 
of  the  troop  permit;  otherwise  with  single  snaffles.  Special 
attention  must  be  given  to  the  use  of  proper  bits,  correctly 
adjusted. 

To  Move  Forward.  The  base  of  all  traiymig  is  freedom  in 
the  forward  movement. 

It  is  necessary  then,  from  the  beginning  to  teach  the  horse  to 
respond  to  the  action  of  the  two  legs.  This  lesson  is  the  first 
one  given  and  should  be  repeated  frequently.  For  the  first 
sessions  the  following  rules  are  appropriate: 

1st.  Do  not  let  the  legs  remain  glued  to  the  side  of  the 
horse ;  act  by  repeated  impulses. 

2nd,    Touch  the  horse  near  the  girths ;  not  too  far  in  rear. 

3rd.  Begin  by  giving  this  lesson  in  passing  from  the  walk  to 
the  trot,  then  in  extending  the  trot,  finally  in  passing  from  the 
halt  to  the  trot. 

4th.  Reenforce  the  action  of  the  legs,  if  necessary,  by  fol- 
lowing these  actions  immediately  by  clucks  with  the  tongue,  or 
even  with  light  whip  taps  on  the  shoulder.  This  last  suggestion 
is  more  particularly  applicable  when  the  lesson  is  given  in  the 
riding  hall.  Outside  on  the  road,  and  especially  when  marching 
behind  an  old  leader,  the  colts  have  a  natural  tendency  to  move 
forward  in  order  to  follow  him.  That  is  another  reason  in 
favor  of  working  out-of-doors  at  an  early  date. 

In  the  forward  movement  the  reins  should  always  be 
stretched.  Otherwise,  instead  of  being  inclosed  by  the  aids, 
the  horse  is  uncertain  of  his  direction;  he  wabbles  from  side 
to  side,  and  the  rider  cannot  direct  him. 

It  is  easy  to  maintain  the  reins  stretched  with  energetic 
horses  which  have  natural  impulsion ;  it  suffices  for  the  rider 
to  maintain  steady  hands,  and  without  discouraging  the  spirit 


—51— 

of  the  horse,  to  gradually  moderate  his  excess  of  ardor.  It  is 
more  difficult  to  teach  lazy,  cold-blooded,  or  grass-raised  colts 
to  go  up  to  the  hand.  These,  as  a  rule,  only  stretch  their  reins 
M^hen  tired,  in  order  to  support  their  heads.  With  such  horses, 
from  the  very  beginning,  the  rider  must  seek  the  mouth.  Later 
on,  strengthened  by  regular  work,  the  remount  having  learned 
the  habit  of  taking  contact  with  the  bit,  when  urged  by  the 
legs,  will  stretch  the  reins  of  his  own  accord.  When  the  horse 
obeys  the  action  of  the  legs,  or  even  the  taps  of  the  heel,  work 
on  straight  lines  at  the  walk,  trot,  and  gallop  will  lead  him 
gradually  to  take  the  desired  support  on  the  hand,  hence  the 
rider  should  be  careful  not  to  discourage  him  by  undue 
severity. 

A  set  hand  with  fingers  closed,  would  only  cause  confusion 
to  the  horse's  mouth,  and  would  have  the  effect  of  sending  him 
back  from  the  bit. 

Thus,  in  the  first  lessons  in  the  forward  movement,  the 
hand  should  not  oppose  the  extension  of  the  neck ;  the  fingers, 
en  the  contrary,  should  be  ready  to  yield  in  order  that  the  neck 
may  stretch  out  and  that  nothing  may  interfere  with  the  will- 
ingness of  the  horse  in  his  movements  forward.  The  legs  are 
active,  the  hands  passive. 

With  some  particularly  cold  blooded  horses,  who  obstinately 
remain  deaf  to  the  call  of  the  legs,  it  may  be  well  to  use  the 
spurs  at  an  early  date.  But  even  in  this  case  the  spurs  should 
have  dull  rowels,  or  be  preferably  without  rowels. 

With  well-bred  horses  it  is  the  rule  not  to  use  spurs  during 
the  first  lessons. 

The  use  of  the  spurs  in  most  cases  does  not  necessitate  a 
special  lesson ;  the  horse  nearly  always  responds  to  them  by  a 
bound  forward. 

With  mares  or  balky  horses,  which  kick  at  the  leg  and  refuse 
to  advance,  it  is  generally  sufficient  to  put  them  on  the  longe 
and  make  a  vigorous  use  of  the  driving  whip  coincident  with 
the  rider's  attack  with  the  legs. 

Halting.  To  halt,  the  rider  progressively  closes  his  fingers 
and  raises  the  upper  part  of  his  body  rearward. 


—52— 

He  regulates  the  severity  of  his  hand  to  the  degree  of  sensi- 
bility of  the  horse's  mouth. 

In  halting,  the  horse  should  remain  straight  and  up  on  the 
bit. 

Nervous  horses,  those  which  engage  their  haunches  too 
greatly  and  those  with  a  tendency  to  back,  should  not  be  halted 
frequently.  On  the  other  hand,  those  which,  from  their  con- 
formation, have  too  much  weight  on  their  shoulders  should  be 
frequently  halted.  Training  is  nothing  else  than  a  search  for 
balance,  and  the  halt  is  an  excellent  gymnastic  for  those  horses 
which,  high  and  powerful  behind,  are  difficult  to  slow  down. 

Turning.  Horses  are  accustomed  to  being  led  in  a  snaffle 
bridle;  this  familiar  opening  effect  of  the  rein,  which  is  always 
accepted  by  them,  serves  as  the  starting  point  in  their 
education. 

To  turn  to  the  right,  the  rider  opens  the  right  rein  gently, 
carrying  the  hand  forward  and  to  the  right.  The  other  hand, 
which  does  not  act,  must  be  carried  forward  and  low  so  as  not 
to  contradict  the  active  rein. 

It  is  very  imporant  that  all  sensations  which  the  colt  is  made 
to  experience  should  come  to  him  distinctly  and  perfectly 
clearly. 

The  opening  effect  of  the  rein  should  be  produced  laterally, 
and  with  the  least  possible  action  from  front  to  rear.  It  pro- 
vokes, nevertheless,  a  slight  slowing  up,  which  should  be 
combated  by  action  of  the  legs. 

When  the  remount  is  well  confirmed  in  the  forward  move- 
ment, in  order  to  confirm  and  fortify  the  action  of  the  leg, 
advantage  is  taken  of  the  fact  that  the  action  of  the  opening 
rein  tends  to  have  the  same  results  as  the  action  of  one  isolated 
leg.  The  colt  is  thus  taught  the  action  which  results  from  the 
opening  of  one  rein  and  the  closing  of  one  leg,  and  he  is  habit- 
uated to  carrying  his  haunches  away  from  the  acting  leg. 

When  the  horse  readily  obeys  the  action  of  the  opening  rein, 
at  the  walk  and  trot,  he  is  taught  the  action  of  the  bearing  rein. 
In  view  of  the  gymnastics  to  which  he  later  will  be  submitted 


—53— 

when  he  is  guided  by  one  hand,  he  is  taught  to  turn  to  the 
right,  for  example,  by  action  of  the  left  rein.  To  obtain  this 
result,  it  is  well  to  take  advantage  of  the  corners  of  the  hall, 
or  exercise  the  horse  in  turns  by  the  flank,  abouts,  or  other 
circular  movements  with  the  opening  effect  of  the  rein ;  and  as 
soon  as  the  horse  commences  to  obey,  to  substitute  the  action 
of  the  bearing  rein  by  immediately  carrying  the  left  hand  (for 
n  turn  to  the  right)  forward  and  to  the  right.  The  opening 
rein  serves  as  a  sort  of  interpreter  for  the  bearing  rein.  As 
soon  as  the  latter  comes  into  play  the  action  of  the  opening  rein 
should  be  discontinued,  and  the  right  hand  lowered  to  allow  the 
bearing  (left)  rein  to  produce  its  full  effect.  After  repeatedly 
alternating  the  effects  of  the  two  reins  closer  and  closer  to- 
gether, the  action  of  the  opening  rein  is  diminished,  and  then 
gradually  eliminated,  as  the  horse  comes  to  understand  more 
ciearly  what  is  being  asked  of  him. 

Backing.  Backing  is  a  movement  of  secondary  importance 
:n  breaking.  It  should  only  be  executed  dismounted,  and  then 
limited  to  a  few  steps. 

Before  taking  the  young  horse  outside,  he  must  understand 
and  be  responsive  to  the  signals  for  four  different  actions.  All 
possible  movements  and  all  gaits  are  derived  from  these  four 
elementary  actions,  and  it  is  necessary  that  they  be  taught  as 
soon  as  practicable,  and  taught  separately,  before  they  are 
associated  in  producing  combined  effects. 

These  actions  are :  To  move  forward  at  the  pressure  of  the 
legs ;  to  slow  up  or  stop  at  the  tension  of  the  reins ;  to  range 
the  shoulders;  and  to  range  the  haunches. 

These  elements  being  thoroughly  understood  by  the  young 
horse,  the  ordinary  exercises  of  equitation  judiciously  adapted 
to  his  means,  to  the  ::iaturity  of  his  development,  and  to  his 
physical  condition  will  accomplish  his  education. 

The  accomplishment  of  these  latter  (the  ordinary  exercises 
of  equitation)  will  be  the  role  of  training  properly  speaking. 

First  Lessons  at  the  Gallop.  If  special  tracks,  sanded  or 
lurfed  paths  are  not  available,  all  work  at  the  gallop  for  young 
horses  must  be  given  on  the  soft  footing  of  the  riding  hall. 


—54— 

With  horses  from  the  South  (thoroughbreds  and  Anglo- 
Arabs — Translator)  who  gallop  naturally,  a  simple  closing  of 
the  legs  suffices  to  break  their  equilibrium  and  causes  them  to 
take  the  desired  gait. 

It  is  different  with  horses  from  the  Northwest,  which  are 
often  cold-blooded,  or  descended  from  a  race  of  trotters.  With 
them,  taking  the  gallop  by  extending  the  trot  is  painful  and 
should  be  strictly  forbidden,  as  it  is  frequently  a  cause  of 
disorder  and  accident.  On  the  contrary,  by  starting  from  the 
slow  trot  on  the  circle,  or  a  turn  at  the  end  of  a  movement, 
by  the  flank  for  example,  the  horse  may  be  induced  to  fall  into 
a  gallop  with  the  desired  lead.  In  any  case  the  aids  to  employ 
are  the  action  of  the  outside  rein  (indirect  rein  of  opposition) 
and  the  action  of  both  legs.  These  actions,  while  holding  back 
the  inside,  provoke  a  rupture  of  equilibrium  in  the  direction 
of  the  movement  and  oblige  the  horse  to  take  the  gallop.  A 
few  clucks  of  the  tongue  will  assist  the  first  efforts. 

The  rider  helps  maintain  the  gait  by  swaying  with  the 
rhythm  of  the  gallop,  continuing  the  action  of  the  legs,  and 
gently  accompanying  with  the  hand  the  play  of  the  neck. 

At  the  end  of  a  few  lessons,  the  gallop  departs  become  more 
and  more  calm. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  gallop  young  colts  often.  It  is  the  time 
spent  at  the  gallop  and  not  the  number  of  departs  which  counts 
with  them.  Outside,  as  in  the  riding  hall,  the  instructor  gives 
this  lesson  to  only  a  few  horses  at  a  time;  he  regulates  the 
number  and  the  duration  of  these  gallops  by  the  temperament, 
character  and  breeding  of  the  horses.  Those  not  galloping 
walk  about  individually,  or  are  given  the  mounting  lesson,  etc. 

Preliminary  Conditioning.  Work  out-of-doors  should 
commence  just  as  soon  as  the  colts  are  accustomed  to  the  man's 
weight  and  have  a  sufficient  idea  of  the  aids  to  insure  their 
being  guided  without  danger  of  accident. 

Fresh  air,  the  use  of  gaits  according  to  the  nature  of  the 
gTound,  regularity  of  gaits  and  the  progressive  increase  in 
their  speed  and  duration,  and  the  periods  of  rest  and  relaxa- 


—55— 

tion,  intelligently  intermingled,  are  the  elements  at  the  disposal 
of  the  instructor  to  attain  his  end,  i.e.,  the  normal  development 
rl'  the  organs  of  the  young  horse. 

Organization  of  Sections:  Leaders.  The  instructor 
groups  the  colts  according  to  their  breeding,  character,  tem- 
perament, and  gaits.  The  examinations  which  he  has  been 
able  to  make  of  them  during  the  first  sessions  in  the  riding  hally 
the  descriptive  lists  from  the  remount  depots,  record  of  per- 
formances, and  the  age  at  which  the  colt  was  bought,  all  aid 
him  in  making  this  preliminary  grouping. 

Each  day,  on  leaving  the  stable,  the  instructor  examines  the 
colt's  legs;  he  then  has  them  marched  around  him  at  a  walkj 
studies  their  appearance,  condition  and  expression,  and  quesr 
tions  the  riders  about  their  feeding,  character,  difficulties  en^ 
countered,  and  results  obtained.  After  this,  the  instructor 
re-groups  them  according  to  their  ability  for  work,  or  desig-r 
nates  those  which  should  be  given  individual  work. 

Each  group  is  divided  into  small  sections  of  four  or  five 
horses  each.  These  sections  take  their  exercise  on  different 
roads  or  at  sufficient  distance  from  one  another  to  assure  inde- 
pendence, and  hence  calm,  in  each  section.  At  the  head  of  each 
section,  at  least  during  the  first  few  days,  an  old  horse  is  placed 
to  act  as  leader. 

Value  of  the  Various  Gaits.  The  walk  plays  an  important 
part  in  conditioning  because  it  can  be  sustained  a  long  time 
without  fatigue.  At  its  full  extent  it  supples  all  joints, 
strengthens  and  hardens  the  tendons,  and  engenders  calmness 
and  power.  By  accompanying  with  the  hands  the  play  of  the 
neck,  which  is  very  pronounced  at  the  extended  walk,  the 
horse  gains  confidence  and  develops  the  habit  of  keeping  con- 
tact with  the  bit.  For  these  reasons,  this  gait  should  play  a 
very  larger  part  in  breaking. 

The  trot  is  useful  in  the  beginning,  at  first  for  "taking  the 
edge  off,"  then  for  putting  him  in  the  forward  movement  while 
teaching  him  to  accept  the  support  of  the  hand  which  he  will 
meet  and  which  is  necessary  for  him  to  march  straight;  thus 


—56— 

inclosed  by  the  legs  which  push  him  forward  and  the  hand 
which  supports  him,  the  horse  acquires  the  habit  of  fixing  his 
neck  in  the  direction  of  movement,  which  facilitates  his  later 
training. 

From  the  physical  point  of  view,  the  trot  stimulates  the 
circulation  at  the  same  time  that  it  develops  the  muscular 
system. 

The  periods  at  the  trot,  in  the  beginning,  should  be  frequent 
and  short.  The  length  is  increased  as  the  horse  commences  to 
come  into  condition. 

The  gallop  is  the  gymnastic  par  excellence  for  the  young 
horse;  it  puts  him  at  once  both  on  the  haunches  and  on  the 
hand,  and  it  develops  his  respiratory  faculties  to  the  highest 
degree.  It  is  a  gait  which  the  horse  should  be  able  to  sustain 
for  a  long  time  without  fatigue ;  therefore  training  for  it  must 
be  started  early,  but  because  of  the  mechanism  and  power  of 
this  gait,  it  will  not  be  used  outside  except  on  good  ground. 
Lacking  favorable  ground,  it  will  be  preferable  to  gallop  only 
in  the  riding  hall,  until  the  horse  is  more  developed. 

Outside  there  is  no  question  of  proper  leads ;  the  instructor 
proceeds  as  in  the  riding  hall  by  breaking  the  equilibrium,  and 
lie  regulates  the  length  of  the  gallop  by  the  progression  of  his 
work,  and  above  all  by  the  physical  condition  of  the  horse.^ 

In  the  beginning,  the  bringing  on  of  a  struggle  in  order  to 
regulate  the  gait,  which  might  be  harmful  to  the  colt's  mouth, 
interfere  with  his  gaits  or  kill  his  natural  impulsion,  should  be 
avoided.  In  all  this  part  of  the  work,  the  objects  of  which  are, 
above  all  physical  development  and  the  establishment  of  con- 
fidence, the  rider  plays,  a  passive  part  so  to  speak,  and  makes 
every  concession  which  will  not  have  bad  results  on  the  health 
or  character  of  his  horse. 

Defenses  of  the  Young  Horse.  Here  a  distinction  must 
be  made  between  meanness  and  playfulness.  While  the  first 
should  be  suppressed  from  the  beginning,  it  would  be  wrong 

^  These  gallops  at  first  very  short — 400  to  500  yards — are  increased 
progressively  to  reach  at  the  end  of  the  period  1^500  to  2,000  yards. 


.     —57— 

to  punish  the  waywardness  of  a  colt.  When  the  rider  feels 
the  colt  ready  to  jump,  he  should  close  his  thighs  and  lower 
legs,  lower  his  hands,  close  his  fingers,  and  wait. 

Likewise,  when  the  colt  escapes  the  hand,  and  bolts  out 
straight  to  the  front,  or  jumps  to  one  side,  no  attempt  must  be 
made  to  collect  him,  as  ignorant  riders  do,  by  a  regular  action 
of  the  aids  (since  the  colt  barely  understands  them  when  he  is 
calm  and  at  slow  gaits),  but  the  hand  should  be  steadied  and 
tlien,  when  the  colt  is  calmer,  he  should  be  stopped,  put  in  the 
right  direction  and  moved  forward.  This  method  of  procedure, 
even  with  old  horses,  always  gives  the  most  certain  and  prompt 
results. 

Under  any  circumstance,  the  instructor  cautions  patience 
and  gentleness.- 

USE  OF  THE  Double  Bridle.  When  the  remounts  give  them- 
selves over  freely  in  bold  and  extended  gaits,  and  when  they 
accept  the  support  of  the  hand  without  hesitation,  the  double 
bridle  may  be  put  on  without  fear,  remembereing  always  to 
demand  nothing  but  work  on  straight  lines  until  the  bars  of 
the  mouth  are  accustomed  to  the  bit.  Thus  the  danger  of  let- 
ting the  colts  acquire  the  bad  habit  of  overloading  the  should- 
ers and  boring  on  the  hand  is  avoided.  However,  it  is  best  not 
to  use  curb  chains  at  first  and  to  choose  mild  mouth  pieces. 

In  training  there  is  no  regulation  way  of  holding  the  reins. 
The  rider  must  determine,  according  to  his  objective  and  the 
lesistance  he  meets,  the  method  of  holding  which  permits  him 
to  utilize  most  effectively  the  appropriate  actions  of  curb  and 
snaffle. 

Preparation  of  the  Colt  for  His  Ultimate  Use  in  Case 
OF  Mobilization.  After  several  weeks  work,  the  preparation 
of  the  remounts  for  their  ultimate  role  which  they  will  be  called 
upon  to  play  on  mobilization,  must  be  begun.    While  following 

-  In  addition  he  should  be  guided  in  this  by  the  most  famous  masters 
of  the  French  School  who  have  as  their  maxim  "Do  not  weary  the  young 
horse  or  suppress  his  gracefulness,  because  it  is  with  horses  as  with  the 
bloom  on  fruits,  which  when  faded  never  returns."  (Pluvnel.  Le  Manege 
royal. ) 


k 


-58— 


strictly  the  established  program  of  the  development  of  the 
horse,  at  the  same  time  one  may,  for  example,  carry  the  saber 
and  use  the  double  bridle  on  road  work,  from  time  to  time  to 
accustom  the  remount  to  the  pack,  to  the  distinctive  head  dress 
of  the  rider,  to  the  cuirasses,  to  the  handling  of  arms,  standing 
still  or  at  the  walk,  and  to  work  in  ranks  (school  of  the  pla- 
toon) .  Likewise,  by  taking  them  to  the  target  range  they  may 
be  accustomed  to  the  sound  of  firing. 

Hygiene.  The  hygiene  of  young  horses  should  be  the  sub- 
ject of  continual  thought  for  the  instructor  who  has  them  in 
charge. 

Grooming  plays  a  large  part  in  the  upkeep  of  the  horse's 
health.  To  obtain  the  best  results  rivalry  among  the  men 
should  be  stimulated  by  every  possible  means.  The  troop 
commander  and  the  officer  in  charge  of  training  visit  the 
remounts  in  their  stable  daily,  regulate  their  feeding  hours, 
satisfy  themselves  that  the  horses  are  eating  well,  that  their 
teeth  are  in  good  shape,  that  they  receive  the  prescribed  ration, 
order  the  proper  substitutions  according  to  season  (carrots, 
etc.,)  prescribe  the  days  and  hours  for  mashes  and  their  com- 
position, and  see  that  they  have  a  good  bedding,  which  alone 
will  secure  them  the  rest  necessary  to  their  health. 

Once  a  week  they  have  the  horses,  in  snaffle  bridle  and  strip- 
ped, led  out  by  the  men  who  ride  them,  so  as  to  better  examine 
their  appearance  and  the  state  of  their  legs.  They  carefully 
examine  the  feet  and  the  shoeing. 

Shedding  and  the  Period  on  Grass.  The  period  of  chang- 
ing the  hair  (March-April)  and  the  time  when  young  horses 
must  be  fed  principally  green  food  (May-June)  are,  for  them, 
depressing.  An  easing  up  of  work  becomes  imperative  at  these 
periods,  as  well  as  an  increase  of  feed  to  combat  the  physical 
depression  the  effects  of  which  may  often  be  felt  for  quite  a 
while. 

,  Choice  of  Ground.  The  choice  of  ground  plays  an  import- 
ant part  in  the  work  of  young  horses.  Without  exaggerating 
the  precautions  necessary,  there  should  be  chosen,  especially 


—59—  

for  galloping,  soil  just  as  soft  as  possible;  the  drill  ground 
track,  sanded  parades,  side  paths  of  the  roads;  and  as  a  last 
resort,  the  riding  hall.  On  hard  ground  the  joints  tire,  and 
the  lower  parts  of  the  legs  are  blemished.  A  heavy  or  slippery 
surface  also  provides  grave  difficulties,  the  joints  are  apt  to  be 
strained  and  windgalls  and  bursal  enlargements  appear.  But 
when  the  colt  has  gained  some  experience  out-of-doors,  is 
stronger,  and  more  developed  in  his  gaits,  taking  him  over 
broken  and  varied  ground  is  good  practice.  His  initiative  is 
awakened,  and  if  given  great  freedom  of  neck,  he  learns  to 
depend  on  himself. 

Individual  Work.  Individual  work,  which  can  only  be  out- 
lined in  the  riding  hall  or  on  the  drill  ground,  is  performed 
very  regularly  out-of-doors.  On  the  first  day  when  the  return 
to  the  stables  is  begun  the  instructor  divides  them  into  groups, 
whose  size  will  be  diminished  each  day,  and  has  them  go  home 
by  different  roads.  These  groups  further  divide  up,  until 
finally  the  colt  is  accustomed  to  work  alone.  The  requirements 
are  increased  until  each  shows  absolute  freedom  and  quiet. 

The  mounting  lesson  is  frequently  given  during  work  out-of- 
dcors.  Results  acquired  in  the  riding  hall  have  value  only  as 
they  serve  as  the  base  for  the  utilization  of  the  horse  in 
campaign. 

Harness.  War  Department  instructions  prescribe  the 
breaking  to  harness  of  a  certain  number  of  young  horses 
destined  to  draw  the  regimental  transport  in  maneuvers.  They 
are  chosen  from  among  those  animals  showing  most  aptitude 
for  the  work.  This  training  is  quieting  for  certain  particular- 
ly nervous  and  excitable  horses.  For  this  purpose,  the  regula-^ 
tion  breaking  cart,  which  should  be  found  in  each  regiment,  is 
used,  or,  if  need  be,  the  forage  wagon. 

First  Instruction  Over  Obstacles.  It  is  advantageous  to 
commence  the  colt's  training  over  obstacles  at  an  early  date, 
provided  only  freedom  and  skill  are  sought.  An  exaggerated 
effort  must  not  be  demanded,  but  at  the  same  time  he  must  be 
taught  to  respect  the  obstacle ;  so  he  is  exercised  over  low,  stiff 
ones.  ; 


—go- 
Leading.  The  horses  having  been  taught  by  the  work  on 
the  longe  to  follow  their  trainer  without  hesitation,  advantage 
is  taken  of  this  to  make  them  pass  in  the  same  manner,  in  hand, 
over  all  the  small  natural  obstacles  that  may  be  found,  such  as 
ditches  at  the  side  of  roads,  little  brooks,  up  and  down  banks, 
slopes,  etc. 

The  instructor  should  not  forget  that  his  aim  is  to  develop 
skill,  that  this  is  only  obtained  by  calm ;  and  that  calm  can  only 
come  from  the  patience  of  the  trainer. 

So  no  violent  methods  are  allowed  in  this  work. 
Nevertheless  care  must  be  taken  that  the  horses  do  not  profit 
by  the  amount  of  liberty  which  is  thus  necessarily  given  them, 
to  turn  on  the  man  and  strike  him. 

Passing  obstacles  by  leading  the  horses  should  not  be  re- 
garded solely  as  a  step  to  jumping  mounted,  but  also  as  an  end 
in  itself.  It  is  a  manner  of  crossing  obstacles  which  must  be 
cultivated  and  perfected. 

A  troop  must  count  on  using  this  method  as  well  as  must  a 
lone  rider  who  finds  himself  faced  by  a  difficult  crossing. 

On  the  Longe.  As  the  colt  gains  in  strength,  the  instructor 
adds,  for  each  of  them,  some  lessons  in  jumping  on  the  longe 
or  at  liberty.  These  exercises  increase  their  agility,  and  develop 
their  strength,  their  balance,  and  consequently  their  confidence. 

To  jump  on  the  longe,  the  horse  is  put  on  a  circle,  or  rather 
on  an  ellipse,  so  that  he  will  always  have  a  certain  space  of 
ground  to  cover  on  a  straight  line  before  taking  off.  This  al- 
lows him  to  measure  his  strides ;  and  obviates  his  having  to 
turn  too  short  after  jumping.  The  instructor,  to  maintain  him 
on  this  ellipse,  is  required  to  move  considerably  on  the  long 
axis.  He  should  always  be  level  with  the  horse's  croup  when  the 
l^vtter  arrives  at  the  obstacle. 

,  At  the  moment  of  the  jump  and  for  the  first  few  strides 
y/hich  follow,  he  allows  the  longe  to  slide. 

One  commences  with  the  bar  on  the  ground.  It  is  not  raised 
yntil  the  horse  passes  it  at  the  three  gaits  without  hastening 
or  slowing  the  pace.    To  calm  the  horses  and  induce  them  to 


-61— 


ir.ise  the  forehand,  it  is  advantageous  to  make  them  jump  a 
long  time  from  the  walk  and  trot. 

Every  time,  during  the  course  of  training,  that  the  horse 
shows  apprehension  or  lack  of  energy  the  bar  is  put  back  on 
the  ground.  The  kind  and  height  of  the  obstacles  is  varied 
often,  and  the  horse  should  be  worked  on  both  hands.  The  full 
extent  of  the  horse's  power  should  never  be  sought;  it  is  by 
patient,  quiet,  and  repeated  work,  over  small  obstacles  that  his 
aptitudes  are  developed  and  he  becomes  a  sure  jumper.  The 
instructor  should  consider  jumping  as  a  difficult  exercise  and 
give  the  lessons  himself,  aided  by  skillful  noncommissioned 
officers. 

At  Liberty.  Jumping  at  liberty  in  a  circular  chute  or  in  the 
riding  hall  may  be  employed  usefully  to  perfect  the  style  of 
some  horses,  or  to  teach  others  who  hold  back,  to  jump  in  their 
stride.  But  it  is  a  very  delicate  instruction  which  necessitates 
the  presence  of  the  officer  with  all  his  vigilance. 

Work  in  the  circular  chute  renders  the  horse  calmer  than 
that  in  a  straight  chute  because  he  may  be  made  to  continue 
going  in  the  chute  and  jump  several  times  in  succession. 

This  chute  is  built  on  ground  measuring  about  45  meters 
long  and  20  to  25  meters  wide.  It  is  composed  of  tw^o  tracks, 
one  within  the  other,  each  consisting  of  two  straight  sides 
joined  by  suitable  curves.  Each  track  is  SV^  to  4  meters  wide. 
The  inside  fences  which  inclose  them  should  be  II/2  meters 
high,  the  outside  one  2  meters  high. 

On  the  straight  sides  suitable  obstacles  both  in  height  and 
width  are  distributed,  and  made  so  that  they  may  be  jumped 
in  either  direction.  The  interior  track,  reserved  especially  for 
the  gymnastics  of  jumping,  has  only  obstacles  whose  height 
may  be  varied  according  to  the  ability  and  degree  of  training 
of  the  horse.  The  outside  track,  for  the  development  of  the 
horse's  skill  across  country,  includes  the  more  impressive  solid 
obstacles  which  the  trooper  may  meet  across  country — banks, 
mounds,  road  crossings,  streams,  ditches,  etc.  Obstacles  of 
width  must  be  insisted  upon ;  ditches,  covered  ditches,   and 


—62—        

streams,  frequently  found  out-of-doors,  must  be  insisted  upon. 
The  instructor  remains  in  the  central  part  and  directs  the 
horse's  work  by  the  voice  and  longeing  whip. 

Mounted.  When  the  horses  jump  skillfully  and  without 
hesitation  they  are  made  to  cross,  mounted,  several  of  the  most 
simple  obstacles.  In  this  case  it  is  well  to  have  them  preceded 
by  a  leader.  The  riders  endeavor  to  leave  the  neck  absolutely 
free,  taking  hold  of  the  pommel  if  necessary. 


—63— 

Chapter  IV 
TRAINING 

General.  The  schooled  or  trained  horse  is  one  that  under- 
stands the  rider's  intentions  from  his  slightest  indications 
and  immediately  responds  to  them  with  exactness,  lightness 
and  energy ;  in  other  words,  he  is  sensitive  to  the  leg  and  light 
on  the  hand. 

Training  is  distinguished  from  breaking,  in  that  during  the 
colt's  fifth  year — the  usual  breaking  period — acclimatization 
and  physical  development  are  of  the  utmost  importance,  for 
the  rider  must  at  this  time  make  many  concessions  to  the 
young  animal,  whilst  in  the  sixth  year  the  horse  must  submit 
to  the  demands  of  the  rider  and  must  give  him  complete 
obedience. 

Training  should  not  be  started  until  the  horse,  strengthened 
by  fresh  air  and  rational  conditioning,  is  free  in  the  forward 
movement  and  has  confidence  in  his  rider,  and  is  in  shape  to 
learn  the  language  of  the  aids  and  to  subject  himself  to  their 
requirements. 

To  obtain  good  results,  training  must  be  based  on  a  sound 
doctrine;  it  should  follow  a  method,  and  should  conform  ab- 
solutely to  the  rules  of  both. 

A  doctrine  is  a  group  of  principles  whose  validity  has  been 
established  by  experience  and  justified  by  reason. 

The  fundamental  principle  of  training  concerns  itself  with 
the  development  of  a  calm,  forward  moving,  straight  and 
manageable  horse. 

The  method  of  training  prescribes  the  various  means  of 
execution  and  regulates  the  order  of  their  use.  In  application 
it  varies  according  to  the  particular  end  in  view  and  to  the 
circumstances  of  time  and  place.  It  is  influenced  by  the  tem- 
perament of  the  instructor  and  the  skill  of  the  rider. 

The  method  of  training  herein  set  forth  has  as  its  objectives: 
1st.  The  development  and  exploitation  of  the  horse's 
physical  strength  and  moral  qualities. 


—64— 

2nd.    His  submission  to  the  aids,  obtained  by  a  rational 
and  progressive  education  and  without  the  use  of 
force. 
3rd.    The  search  for  balance. 
The  progression  of  the  training  as  suggested  herein  does 
not  include  rules  or  manner  of  execution.     Wherever  move- 
ments cr  figures  are  mentioned  their  execution  is  not  entered 
into  in  detail. 

The  training  value  of  such  figures  depends  entirely  on  the 
manner  in  which  they  are  executed,  it  is  the  position  imposed 
on  the  body  of  the  horse  by  the  rider's  aids  which  makes  them 
of  value.  A  rider  may  execute  all  of  the  figures  prescribed  in 
the  regulations  in  the  most  approved  sequence  and  never  ob- 
tain the  least  result.  Another,  working  on  these  same  figures 
but  with  a  clearly  defined  objective  and  using  his  aids  towards 
the  attainment  of  this  objective,  will  train  his  horse  very 
quickly. 

Principal  Factors  in  Training.  The  Instructor.  The 
ability  of  the  instructor,  as  well  as  that  of  the  rider,  plays  a 
very  important  part  in  training.  The  instructor  should  pos- 
sess a  profound  knowledge  of  the  horse  and  of  the  theoretical 
and  practical  science  of  equitation,  and  he  should  have  a 
thorough  understanding  of  the  method  of  training.  And  in 
addition,  if  his  explanation  is  not  sufficient,  he  must  be  able 
to  demonstrate  in  a  skillful  manner  any  point  in  question. 

The  Rider.  The  personal  ability  of  the  rider  is  however 
the  principal  factor  in  the  training  of  the  horse,  for  however 
excellent  may  be  the  method  of  training,  the  quality  of  the 
horse,  or  the  capability  of  the  instructor,  the  horse  will  never 
be  wholly  obedient  if  the  rider  does  not  understand  his  part 
thoroughly.  The  primary  requisite,  therefore,  for  the  training 
of  a  horse  is  a  skillful  rider. 

The  Work.  Any  method  of  training  not  based  on  the  con- 
ditioning of  the  horse  is  not  a  military  method.  In  training, 
as  in  breaking,  outside  work  will  always  remain  the  essential 
part.     The  instructor  must  maintain  the  proper  proportion 


—65— 

of  outside  and  riding  hall  work  so  that  the  conditioning  of  the 
young  horse  will  keep  pace  with  his  training. 

Under  normal  conditions  the  work  in  the  riding  hall  should 
not  exceed  a  third  of  the  whole ;  and  the  sessions  in  the  riding 
hall  should  not  exceed  three-quarters  of  an  hour  each  during 
which  time  frequent  rests  are  allowed. 

Time.  One  should  not  forget  that  whatever  may  be  the 
rider's  skill,  the  physical  and  mental  development  of  the  colt 
vary  with  each  individual.  No  scheme  of  training  can  hasten 
the  natural  growth  and  development  of  the  remount  or  sub- 
stitute itself  for  the  work  of  time.  Patience  and  gradual 
increase  of  effort  are  most  effective  in  training;  to  go  slowly 
is,  in  this  case,  to  go  quickly.  (Aller  lentement,  c'est  aller 
vite !) 

Psychology  of  Training.  Influence  of  Character  and 
Conformation.  The  horse's  mental  make-up  has  much  to  do 
with  his  education.  We  must  study  it  in  order  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  it. 

The  chief  mental  characteristics  of  the  horse  is  his  memory. 
This  faculty  aids  training  if  proper  use  is  made  of  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  makes  errors  dangerous ;  it  is  difficult  to  retrain 
a  horse — that  is,  to  make  him  forget  bad  lessons. 

Natural  aptitude  varies  in  different  animals  as  do  also  the 
qualities  of  intelligence.  Some  understand  at  once  what  is 
asked  of  them,  others  are  very  slow  to  learn. 

The  horse  is  usually  docile  and  tractable;  he  is  sensitive  to 
good  treatment,  to  the  voice  and  caresses.  Blows  will  not 
subdue  him ;  they  only  serve  to  make  him  irritable  and 
suspicious. 

He  is  capable  of  attention  and  reflection,  since  often  he  will 
execute  in  the  morning  movements  which  were  difficult  for 
him  the  evening  before.  He  is  imitative  and  it  is  on  this 
trait  that  the  use  of  leaders  is  based. 

He  is  patient,  but  his  patience  is  not  unlimited.  One  of  the 
difficulties  in  training  is  to  determine  the  limit  of  requirements 
that  the  horse  will  endure,  and  profit  thereby  during  each 
period. 


—66— 

Training  disciplines  the  horse  but  can  not  completely  trans- 
form his  character.  A  mean  or  tricky  horse,  however  well 
trained,  is  always  to  be  mistrusted.  The  rider  may  hasten  the 
submission  of  the  horse  by  studying  his  mental  faculties  and 
taking  advantage  of  them. 

His  physical  make-up  and  his  temperament  both  require  an 
analytical  study.  The  good  qualities  that  are  latent  in  the 
horse  or  the  difficulties  that  are  apt  to  be  encountered  can  often 
be  foreseen  by  observing  the  length  and  direction  of  his  legs, 
the  play  of  the  joints,  the  functioning  of  his  digestive  organs. 

Limit  of  Training.  The  instructor  studies  each  individual 
horse,  decides  the  means  of  training  which  best  suit  his  case 
and  regulates  the  work  accordingly. 

It  is  not  possible  to  bring  all  horses  to  the  same  degree  of 
perfection ;  but  one  should  always  endeavor  to  develop  the  full 
capabilities  of  each  horse,  without  however,  trying  to  obtain 
by  force  that  which  the  animal  lacks  the  strength  or  ability 
to  give. 

There  are  some  methods  of  training  that  aim  to  subdue 
finally  and  completely  the  horse's  mental  and  physical  forces 
and  thus  obtain  absolute  domination  over  him.  These  methods 
are  based  on  the  complete  rassembler  on  the  spur.  They  are 
not  in  the  domain  of  secondary  equitation,  however,  for  the 
requirements  of  work  in  the  troop  and  on  varied  ground  make 
a  constant  demand  on  the  horse's  instinct  and  initiative. 

Basis  of  an  Equestrian  Language.  In  order  that  man 
may  transmit  his  wishes  to  the  horse,  make  use  of  the  animal's 
intelligence,  and  thus  dominate  him,  it  is  necessary  to  establish 
between  them  a  sort  of  conventional  language  which  the  rider 
may  easily  learn  and  utilize,  and  which  the  horse  may  as  easily 
understand  and  accept. 

This  language  is  based  on  the  law  of  association  of  sensa- 
tions; **When  impressions  have  been  produced  simultaneously 
or  have  immediately  succeeded  each  other,  it  is  thereafter 
sufficient  that  one  of  the  impressions  be  presented  to  the 
senses  in  order  for  the  others  also  to  be  called  to  mind. 


—67- 


For  example,  if  a  horse  moves  forward  at  the  cluck  of  the 
tongue  it  is  because  one  day  he  saw  a  whip,  felt  the  lash,  and 
at  the  same  time  heard  the  cluck.  Whenever  the  last  sensa- 
tion, affecting  only  the  hearing,  is  alone  presented,  those  of 
sight  and  touch  will  come  immediately  to  his  mind  and  he  will 
move  forward  as  he  did  under  the  effect  of  the  lash. 

Likewise  the  horse  has  learned  to  range  his  haunches  under 
the  effects  of  the  riding  whip ;  later  he  will  range  them  under 
the  pressure  of  one  leg  because  the  two  sensations  will  have 
been  associated  in  the  beginning. 

The  movements  the  horse  executes  naturally  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  aids  are  very  few.  The  most  docile  horse  can 
not  obey  his  rider's  commands  if  he  does  not  understand  them. 
It  is  by  building  upon  the  principle  of  the  association  of  sensa- 
tions or  ideas,  cited  above,  that  one  may  construct  the  language 
which  makes  for  this  indispensable  understanding.  Sight, 
hearing,  touch,  and  even  taste  successively  come  into  play,  and 
each  has  its  part  in  this  education. 

The  elements  of  instruction  are  given  on  the  longe.  The 
touch,  then  the  sight  alone  of  the  whip,  produces  the  forward 
movement.  With  this  should  be  associated  the  cluck  of  the 
tongue  for  which  later  on  is  substituted  the  action  of  the  legs. 
In  the  same  way  the  traction  of  the  longe  paves  the  way  for 
the  opening  rein,  which  in  turn  will  serve  to  introduce  the 
bearing  rein. 

From  the  opening  and  bearing  actions  of  the  reins  the  horse 
will  come  at  length  to  understand  the  actions  of  opposition. 
The  actions  of  the  legs  will  follow  and  finally  he  will  learn  to 
respond  to  various  combinations  of  actions  that  cannot  be 
exactly  defined  but  which  depend  on  the  tact  and  finesse  of  the 
rider. 

It  is  apparent  that  there  exists  from  the  beginning  the  need 
for  the  greatest  clearness  in  the  impressions  transmitted  to  the 
horse  because  it  is  on  the  distinctness  of  these  first  indications 
that  the  clarity  of  the  entire  later  language  will  depend,  and  in 
consequence  the  rate  of  progress  of  the  animal's  education. 


—68— 

Dut  it  is  not  sufficient  that  the  horse  grasp  the  meaning  of  the 
demands  made  upon  him;  he  must  also  have  the  pliancy  of 
will  to  carry  out  the  often  distasteful  requirements  that  his 
rider  imposes. 

Here  again  it  is  the  law  of  the  associations  of  sensations 
which  offers  the  means  of  assuring  the  horse's  obedience. 
When  a  well  executed  movement  is  rewarded  at  once  and  an 
act  of  disobedience  immediately  punished,  the  horse  soon 
learns  to  submit  to  the  rider's  demands. 

The  continuous  repetition  of  this  procedure  will  gradually 
result  in  a  more  and  more  prompt  obedience  and  finally  to  an 
absolute  and  instinctive  submission. 

To  attain  this  last  result,  training  requires  not  only  gentle- 
ness in  order  not  to  irritate  nervous  horses,  but  also  much 
firmness,  for  the  horse  must  feel  that  his  master  is  possessed 
of  infinite  power ;  his  submission  depends  upon  it.  During  the 
course  of  training,  the  time  always  comes  when  a  difficulty  ap- 
pears, when  resistance  is  offered.  The  tactful  rider  determines 
whether  it  is  due  to  physical  inability  or  unwillingness.  In 
the  first  case  one  must  be  particularly  patient  and  moderate 
in  one's  requirements.  In  the  second  case,  on  the  contrary, 
one  must  take  up  the  struggle  resolutely  and  emerge  victorious 
lest  the  horse,  by  association  of  sensations,  becomes  conscious 
of  his  strength,  and,  in  consequence,  obstinate. 

Moreover  the  trainer  must  not  be  deceived  into  believing 
that  the  horse  is  disciplined  because  he  appears  to  be  resigned. 
The  trainer  should  be  keen  enough  to  foresee  the  warning 
signs  of  impatience  and  revolt,  and  to  modify  or  cease  his  re- 
quirements in  time. 

A  horse  may  be  easily  prevented  from  becoming  impatient, 
and  yet  made  to  repeat  the  same  series  of  exercises  daily,  pro- 
vided the  work  is  varied;  and  provided  he  is  given  brief 
periods  of  rest  after  well  executed  movements.  These  rest 
periods  lessen  the  monotony  and  afford  the  horse  needed  op- 
portunity to  relax. 

In  order  that  the  horse's  education  may  be  complete  his 
obedience  must  be  more  than  prompt  and  absolute ;  it  must  be 


-69- 


automatic.  At  this  point,  the  indication  of  a  single  one  of  the 
aids  heretofore  strictly  combined  with  others  suffices  to  start 
the  mechanism  of  association  and  produce  the  execution  of  the 
movement  demanded.  In  the  beginning,  in  order  to  obtain 
even  a  labored  gallop  depart  it  was  necessary  to  use  both  hands 
to  displace  the  forehand  and  both  legs  to  give  the  position  and 
inspire  the  impulsion;  later,  the  closing  of  the  fingers  on  the 
rein  or  the  mere  contact  of  the  boot  suffices  to  obtain  this  same 
movement  because  this  action  has  awakened  the  remembrance 
of  all  the  other  previous  sensations. 

It  is  by  repetition  that  associations  penetrate  the  memory; 
the  operation  is  necessarily  one  of  long  duration.  But  by  sub- 
stituting for  the  repetition,  or  rather  by  adding  to  it,  the  i?i- 
teiisitif  of  a  transmitted  sensation,  the  progress  is  hastened. 
Strong  impressions,  even  though  seldom  repeated,  engrave 
associations  in  the  mind  more  quickly  than  weak  ones  which 
may  weary  or  enervate  the  horse. 

In  accordance  with  these  principles  the  curb  bit  and  spur 
when  properly  used  expedite  training. 

If  the  horse,  through  distraction,  laziness,  or  bad  intent,  at- 
tempts to  avoid  doing  what  is  expected  of  him,  the  energetic 
action  of  the  fingers  on  the  reins  or  a  simple  application  of  the 
spurs  will  quickly  remind  him  of  the  established  conventions. 

Fixing  the  associations  by  the  intensity  of  one  of  the  as- 
sociated impressions  is  one  of  the  fmidamentals  of  training. 

Principles  of  Movement.  In  equitation  the  locomotive 
energy  of  the  horse  is  called  forward  movement  or  impulsion. 

Impulsion.  The  forward  movement  is  the  first  degree  of 
impulsion.  This  quality  exists  in  the  horse  when  he  responds 
to  the  first  pressure  of  the  legs  by  extending  his  action  without 
sensibly  increasing  the  height  of  his  movements. 

Impulsion  is  forward  movement  subjected  to  the  exact  dis- 
cipline of  the  aids  and  exploited  in  view  of  the  object  to  be 
attained.  It  is  the  basis  of  training.  Its  origin  is  in  the  hind 
ouarters  which  propel  or  are  ready  to  propel  the  mass  forward. 


—70— 

Impulsion  may  be  either  natural  or  acquired;  it  is  the  nat- 
ural instinct  in  warm  blooded,  generous  horses;  in  the  cold 
blooded  or  lazy  horse  it  is  obtained  as  a  result  of  training  in 
response  to  the  aids  and  dies  out  as  soon  as  the  aids  which 
provoked  it  are  relaxed. 

The  rider  is  fully  master  of  his  horse  only  when  he  is  master 
of  the  horse's  entire  impulsive  forces.  Certain  horses  are  un- 
willing to  recognize  this  mastership  and  often  oppose  it  by  a 
most  complete  inertia ;  others  use  their  whole  muscular  power 
to  struggle  against  the  rider,  to  resist  him,  or  to  escape  from 
him  completely,  but  most  horses  lend  themselves  generously  to 
the  rider's  wishes  and  seem  to  put  all  their  strength  at  his 
service.  It  is  this  moral  and  physical  submission  to  the  aids 
in  the  forward  movement  which  should  be  sought  above  all 
else  in  training. 

Speed  is  not  a  criterion  of  impulsion.  Impulsion  is  shov^m 
much  more  by  the  manner  in  which  the  horse  lends  himself  to 
the  rider  than  by  the  rapidity  of  the  gaits.  One  horse,  march- 
ing at  the  trot  or  gallop,  even  extended,  may  lack  impulsion, 
while  another  may  show  a  great  deal  of  it  at  the  walk. 

This  freedom  in  the  forward  movement  should  be  carefully 
guarded,  not  only  during  training,  but  during  the  whole  mili- 
tary life  of  the  horse. 

Proper  use  of  the  horse's  strength  leads  to  proper  division 
of  weight,  and  consequently  in  turn  to  balance,  mobility  and 
tractability. 

Balance.  The  horse's  muscular  force  and  his  weight  are 
the  two  elements  which  unite  to  produce  movement. 

Muscular  force  is  essentially  productive  of  energy.  It  causes 
the  displacement  from  inertia  and  its  use,  therefore,  de- 
termines whether  the  distribution  of  the  weight  is  proper  or 
not. 

The  object  of  training  is  to  govern  this  force  at  the  several 
gaits,  at  all  degress  of  speed,  and  in  the  changes  of  direction 
in  such  manner  as  to  oblige  the  horse  to  execute  the  demands 
of  the  rider. 


—71— 

Theoretically,  movement  is  determined  by  the  various  posi- 
tions of  the  center  of  gavity  with  respect  to  the  base  of  sup- 
port. In  the  state  of  rest  the  center  of  gravity  is  sustained  by 
that  base.  Movement  is  but  the  disturbance  of  that  equilib- 
rium, the  members  intervening  to  steady  the  mass  and  prevent 
a  fall.  Thus  the  four  movements — forward,  backward,  to  the 
right  and  to  the  left — always  take  place  because  the  center  of 
gravity  draws  the  mass  to  one  of  these  four  directions. 

In  practice,  a  balanced  horse  is  one  that  is  light  in  his  gaits 
and  agile  in  his  changes  of  direction. 

The  horse  at  liberty  balances  himself  naturally.  His  move- 
ments are  more  or  less  easy  and  the  mobility  that  he  exhibits 
shows  that  he  is  master  of  his  strength  and  can  make  judicious 
use  of  it.  With  rare  exceptions,  as  soon  as  the  horse  is  mount- 
ed this  natural  equilibrium  is  disturbed  by  the  rider's  weight, 
v/hich  displaces  the  center  of  gravity  (two-third  of  this  weight 
falls  on  the  forehand) .  In  addition,  the  voluntary  or  involun- 
tary actions  of  the  aids  provoke  numerous  contractions  so  that 
a  part  of  the  horse's  muscular  power  is  employed  in  resisting 
the  rider. 

The  less  the  horse  resists  his  rider  the  better  he  can  balance 
himself  and  the  more  manageable  he  becomes. 

The  capability  of  a  horse  to  make  proper  use  of  his  strength 
depends  upon  his  conformation.  A  well  made  horse  balances 
himself  more  easily  under  the  man  since  his  strength  is  trans- 
mitted to  his  members  under  the  best  possible  mechanical 
conditions.  But  irrespective  of  the  conformation  of  the  horse, 
the  rider  should  endeavor  without  delay  to  make  him  regain  a 
natural  balance,  or  at  least  a  balance  which  approaches  it. 
Therefore,  at  the  beginning  of  his  training  the  horse  must  be 
allowed  great  liberty,  for  if  his  movements  are  restrained  he 
will  be  unable  to  recover  this  balance.  The  more  steady,  exact, 
and  conciliating  the  rider  is  in  his  actions,  the  more  confidence 
the  horse  will  have  and  the  quicker  he  will  regain  his 
equilibrium. 

As  training  progresses  the  number  of  resistances  will  di- 


—72— 

niinish.  The  horse  in  yielding  to  the  aids  will  make  better  use 
of  his  strength  and  a  better  distribution  of  his  weight;  and 
the  rider  will  find  less  difficulty  in  giving  him  the  position  lead- 
ing to  the  desired  movement. 

Locomotion.  The  laws  of  locomotion  are  concerned  with 
the  order  in  which  the  horse  places  his  feet  in  the  different 
movements  and  in  the  several  gaits. 

In  superior  equitation  the  application  of  these  observations 
may  lead  to  good  results ;  but  in  secondary  equitation  a  wider 
view  must  be  taken  lest  the  difficulties  be  aggravated  by  trying 
to  attempt  objectives  not  wholly  practical  under  the  conditions, 

The  rider  need  only  concern  himself  with  giving  the  horse 
the  position  which  should  precede  each  movement,  leaving  to 
the  horse  the  care  and  time  of  placing  his  feet  accordingly. 

Role  and  Position  of  the  Head  in  Movement.  When  the 
horse  uses  all  of  his  natural  means  to  aid  himself  in  the  exe- 
cution of  his  movements,  he  employs  his  head  and  neck  to 
balance  or  modify  the  employment  of  his  forces.  If  he  wishes 
to  move  forward  he  straightens  his  head  to  the  front  and 
stretches  out  his  neck  so  as  to  draw  the  center  of  gravity  in  the 
direction  of  the  movement.  Or,  if  he  wishes  to  stop  or  back, 
he  brings  in  his  head,  shortens  his  neck,  and  thus  impels  the 
movement  of  the  mass  to  the  rear.  In  movements  to  the  side, 
oblique  or  circular,  it  is  again  the  displacement  of  the  head 
and  neck  to  the  right  or  left  which  facilitates,  regulates  and 
maintains  the  movement. 

The  rider  who  wishes  to  be  master  of  his  horse  should  place 
the  horse's  head  in  such  a  position  by  means  of  the  bit  so  that 
he  may  regulate  its  displacements  and  in  turn,  those  of  the 
neck.  In  this  way  the  neck  bends,  shortens  or  stretches  out, 
according  to  the  impressions  which  the  mouth  receives  from 
the  rider's  hand. 

In  order  that  the  impression  of  the  hand  may  be  clearly 
transmitted  to  the  horse's  mouth  and  at  the  same  time  that  the 
breatching  may  not  be  hindered,  the  horse's  head  should  slope 
from  the  muzzle  upward  and  rearward,  and  it  should  be  made 


—73— 

to  take  this  position  at  the  ordinary  gaits  and  in  the  simple, 
regular  movements. 

The  more  shortened  the  gait,  the  more  the  head  should  ap- 
proach the  vertical  line;  conversely,  the  more  it  is  desired  to 
increase  the  speed,  the  more  the  head  should  approach  the 
horizontal.  In  both  cases  the  position  the  head  assumes  is 
considered  normal  since  it  favors  the  slowing  or  the  increasing 
of  the  gaits  respectively. 

The  head  may  assume  an  exaggerated  position  (too  close  or 
too  far  from  the  vertical)  due  to  defective  conformation  of 
the  forehand,  badly  adjusted  bitting,  excess  of  sensibility  in 
the  chin  grove  or  bars,  or — and  as  is  most  frequently  the  case 
with  horses  that  "stargaze" — because  of  defective  conforma- 
tion in  some  part  of  the  hindquarters. 

The  rider  combats  the  faults  of  position  not  only  by  a  jud- 
icious use  of  the  aids  but  also  by  the  use  of  a  milder  or  more 
severe  bit ;  by  raising  or  lowering  the  bit  in  the  horse's  mouth 
and  by  loosening  or  tightening  the  curb  chain. 

Thus  with  a  "stargazer"  the  head  should  be  brought  in  by 
increasing  the  lever  arm ;  that  is,  by  using  a  long  branch  bit 
placed  low  in  the  mouth.  The  horse  that  carried  his  head  too 
low,  or  that  is  too  much  gathered  should  be  fitted  with  a  short 
branch  bit  adjusted  as  high  in  the  mouth  as  possible. 

The  position  of  the  head  in  the  natural  state  is  determined 
by  the  posture  of  the  neck.  When  the  horse  is  under  control, 
the  bit,  with  its  action  on  the  bars  of  the  mouth,  makes  the 
head  take  a  position  to  which  the  neck  is  forced  to  yield.  The 
neck  will  therefore  contract,  stretch  out,  or  bend  to  the  right 
or  left,  according  to  the  action  of  the  hands. 

Role  and  Position  of  the  Neck.  The  neck  is  the  indis- 
pensable lever  for  facilitating  movement.  Its  position  and  its 
attachment  to  the  head  should  be  such  that,  while  it  remains 
supple  and  accepts  the  lateral  and  retrograde  displacements 
without  resistance,  it  should  always  preserve  its  natural  sta- 
bility, and  even  a  certain  degree  of  firmness  at  the  base  and  up 
tD  its  middle  portion.    Its  direction  should  be  identical  to  that 


—74— 

taken  naturally  by  the  horse,  unmounted,  when  he  is  placed 
in  the  position  of  attention. 

If  the  head  and  neck  are  raised  too  much  the  play  of  the 
shoulders  will  be  freer  but  at  the  same  time  the  loin  and  the 
whole  hindquarters  will  be  cramped,  the  haunches  and  hocks 
hindered  in  their  action,  and  the  displacements  of  the  hind 
quarters  restrained,  unequal,  and  jerky.  Consequently,  the 
gait  will  lose  speed  and  regularity. 

If  the  neck  is  too  low,  the  overcharged  shoulders  will  render 
the  horse  heavy  and  difficult  to  guide. 

Thus  the  neck  should  be  neither  too  high  nor  too  low.  It 
should  shorten  or  stretch  out  as  the  head  approaches  or  leaves 
the  vertical.  When  coming  in,  the  head  should  cause  the  neck 
to  bend  at  the  poll  without  breaking  its  line ;  in  stretching  out, 
it  should  extend  the  neck  without  raising  it. 

With  the  head  and  neck  properly  placed,  the  reins  will  re- 
tain their  full  force,  and  the  members  of  the  forehand  like 
those  of  the  hind  quarters  will  coordinate  their  actions  in  the 
movements  whether  collected  or  extended. 

In  determining  the  position  to  give  the  neck,  the  rider  should 
always  take  into  consideration  the  manner  in  which  it  is  nat- 
urally joined  on  (the  "set  on") .  Some  riders  make  the  mistake 
of  demanding  great  elevation  of  neck  from  horses  that  natural- 
ly carry  low  heads.  In  attempting  to  raise  the  neck  too  high 
for  the  natural  conformation  of  the  horse  the  hand  often  stops 
the  impulsive  forces.  When  a  position  contrary  to  the  horse's 
conformation  is  demanded  the  hocks  and  loin  are  cramped  and 
there  is  a  resultant  loss  of  freedom  in  the  gaits. 

The  Ramener.  The  ramener  is  simply  the  placing  of  the 
horse's  muzzle  a  little  in  advance  of  the  vertical  of  the  plane 
of  the  face  of  the  horse,  the  position  which  has  just  been  in- 
dicated as  most  favoring  the  management  of  the  horse;  one 
should  seek  to  obtain  it  from  the  moment  the  horses  are  put 
in  double  bridles. 

In  secondary  equitation  the  horse  is  taught  to  take  this  posi- 
tion principally  by  work  on  straight  lines,  alternately  ex- 
tending and  collecting  the  gaits.     The  rider's  legs  here  play 


-75— 


an  important  part;  their  action  should  always  precede  that 
of  the  hands,  for  the  head  comes  in  and  the  neck  bends  only 
as  a  consequence  of  the  forward  movement,  during  which  the 
horse  meets  the  hand.  The  latter  is  held  steady  and  low  and 
oifers  to  the  mouth  a  gentle  support  which  restrains  an  over 
extension  of  the  neck  and  determines  the  position  of  the  head 
by  causing  it  to  bend  at  the  poll.  The  legs  and  fingers  then 
relax  and  are  brought  into  action  again  only  should  the  head 
assume  an  improper  position.  Provided  they  do  not  hinder 
the  impulsion,  the  alternate  active  and  passive  effects  of  the 
hand  will  soon  give  the  neck  the  flexibility  it  should  have. 

Gymnastics  of  the  Young  Horse.  Gymnastic  work  tends 
to  develop  the  colt's  strength  and  suppleness  and  it  also  serves 
to  conquer  any  resistance  he  may  offer. 

Gymnastic  work  is  practiced  at  all  three  gaits ;  at  the  walk, 
because  the  rider  is  steadier  and  has  greater  control  over  the 
horse  while  the  latter  is  more  attentive  and  better  able  to 
understand  the  movements  demanded ;  at  the  trot,  because 
from  the  conformation  of  the  horse  it  is  at  this  gait  that  the 
joints  play  most  easily  in  lateral  movements;  and  at  the  gal- 
lop, because  it  is  the  combat  gait,  and  consequently  the  ulti- 
mate objective  of  training. 

Resistances.  The  fatigue  caused  both  by  the  work  of  train- 
ing and  the  constraint  imposed  upon  young  horses  during 
their  education  may  occasion  certain  resistances.  These  are 
most  apt  to  occur  in  horses  having  physical  defects,  blemishes 
and  weaknesses,  or  on  account  of  nervousness  arising  from 
awkward  or  misunderstood  demands. 

Whether  the  cause  of  these  resistances  be  mental  or  physical, 
the  joints  and  muscles  may  be  strengthened  and  suppled  by 
appropriate  gymnastics  applied  to  the  various  parts  of  the 
horse's  body.  The  principal  points  of  resistance  are  the 
haunches,  the  spinal  column,  the  shoulders,  and  the  mouth. 
Certain  movements  lend  themselves  more  particularly  to  the 
suppling  of  certain  parts;  the  instructor  regulates  their  use 
according  to  the  end  in  view. 


-76- 


To  Obtain  Engagement  of  the  Hind  Quarters  and  Mo- 
bility OF  the  Haunches.  The  haunches  are  the  seat  of  im- 
pulsion and  at  the  same  time  they  form  a  sort  of  rudder  in  the 
changes  of  direction. 

The  mechanism  of  impulsion  lies  in  the  play  of  the  hip  joint 
(coxo-femoral  articulation) .  The  closing  of  this  joint  leads  to 
the  engagement  of  the  hocks  under  the  mass  (fig.  4)  and  allows 
the  horse  to  cover  rnore  or  less  ground  according  to  the  energy 
of  the  extension  of  the  propellers.  Such  engagement  of  the 
hocks  under  the  mass  leads  to  a  lowering  of  the  hindquarters 
— a  position  which  greatly  facilitates  rapid  changes  of 
direction. 

The  hindquarters  should  be  able  to  move  with  facility  in  a 


T, 


c».cs 


t;. 


\  C   Ui    t\7»i>   Cv-AtOJ^A-lcwV. 


viVivxv-  ^t>\wy 


y)\  iX) .  v\-v  Vvs* V M  o\>  \<i /^^^ 


—77— 

lateral  direction  as  well,  but  because  of  his  construction  the 
horse  can  execute  this  movement  only  by  passing  the  right 
hind  foot,  for  example,  in  front  of  the  left  hind.  Here  again 
the  horse  must  lower  his  croup  and  draw  his  hocks  under  the 
nitiSo. 

The  movements  which  cause  this  engagement  and  this  mo- 
bility of  the  haunches  are :  extending  and  collecting  the  gaits, 
halts,  the  broken  line,  the  serpentine,  the  circle,  the  half  turn 
and  the  half  turn  in  reverse  with  smaller  and  smaller  radius, 
the  false  gallop  and  backing. 

Extending  and  Collecting  the  Gaits.  This  work 
includes : 

Being  at  the  walk;  slow  walk,  walk,  extended  walk;  from, 
the  slow  walk  change  to  the  extended  walk,  and  vice  versa. 

Being  at  the  trot:  Slow  trot,  trot,  and  extended  trot; 
changing  from  slow  trot  to  extended  trot,  and  vice  versa. 

Being  halted  :     Walk  and  halt ;  extended  walk  and  halt. 

Being  at  the  walk :  Taking  up  the  extended  trot ;  halt  from 
the  trot  or  extended  trot. 

Finally  it  includes  the  gallop  departs  from  the  trot,  the 
v/alk,  the  halt  and  from  backing;  passing  from  the  gallop  to 
the  trot,  to  the  walk,  halting  from  the  gallop,  extending  and 
collecting  the  gallop. 

During  Irreaking  the  horse  learns  to  obey  the  hand  by  slow- 
ing the  gait,  and  to  obey  the  legs  by  an  increase  of  gait.  This 
is  again  taken  up  and  insisted  upon  until  the  slowing  of  the 
gait  is  obtained  without  the  least  movement  of  the  head — 
which  would  indicate  a  struggle  against  the  hand — and  until 
the  extension  is  very  willing  and  immediate.  Each  time  the 
horse  lights  the  hand  while  slowing  down  from  faster  gaits, 
he  must  be  put  back  to  slowing  the  walk. 

Obedience  once  obtained,  attention  should  be  paid  to  the 
mayiner  in  which  the  movements  are  executed ;  the  haunches 
should  be  drawn  under  the  mass  in  slowing,  and  the  action  of 
the  hocks  and  loin  in  the  extension  should  be  vigorous.  This 
is  achieved  by  alternate  extensions  and  collections  brought 
nearer  and  nearer  together. 


—78— 

After  these  results  have  been  attained  one  should  demand 
the  most  marked  extensions  and  collections ;  for  example,  im- 
mediate halts  from  fast  gaits. 

In  this  work  of  balancing  the  horse  between  the  hands  and 
legs  it  is  essential  that  these  two  aids  never  act  simultaneously. 
The  horse,  in  slowing  should  let  the  gait  die  out  while  moving 
close  to  the  ground. 

At  the  indication  of  the  legs  he  should  push  himself  vigor- 
ously forward.  If  his  motions  are  high  it  is  because  the  hand 
has  not  yielded  in  time  to  let  the  impulsion  pass. 

If  the  horse  moves  sidewise  in  slowing  he  is  straightened  by 
opposing  the  shoulder  to  the  haunch. 

These  supplings  are  interspersed  with  periods  of  work  on 
the  bit  at  free  gaits.  With  lazy  horses  one  should  insist  espec- 
ially on  the  promptest  obedience  in  the  extensions  and  with 
high  spirited  horses,  in  the  collections. 

When  once  this  work  has  been  well  executed  on  the  straight 
line  it  is  repeated  on  the  circle.  This  requires  a  relatively 
greater  engagement  of  the  interior  haunch.  The  diameter  of 
the  circle  is  reduced  in  proportion  to  the  progress  of  the 
horses.  But  the  horse  himself,  must  not  be  allowed  to  modify 
this  diameter  in  accordance  with  the  gait,  that  is,  to  make  it 
smaller  in  slowing  and  larger  in  extending. 

Inside  the  riding  hall  the  increase  and  decrease  of  the  gallop 
should  be  confined  to  speeds  appropriate  to  the  enclosure  (not 
too  extended).  Outside,  on  straight  lines,  the  speed  should 
be  varied  through  every  form  of  gallop  from  the  most  collected 
canter  to  the  run,  and  the  reverse.  This  work  well  done  is 
proof  of  the  thorough  execution  of  all  preceding  work. 

If  the  horse  bores  or  fights  the  hand  he  must  be  returned  to 
the  riding  hall  for  work  in  slowing  the  walk  and  canter;  the 
object  is  thus  accomplished  more  surely  and  with  less  risk  to 
his  legs  than  if  one  were  to  insist  on  submission  in  the  work 
at  fast  gaits. 

The  Halt.  The  Half  Halt.  Considered  from  the  point  of 
view  of  training  the  object  of  the  halt  is  not  to  stop  the  horse 


—79- 

in  some  position  or  other,  but  rather  to  teach  him  to  balance 
himself  by  the  engagement  of  his  haunches. 

The  halt  is  effected  by  the  action  of  the  fingers  closing  on  the 
adjusted  reins.  If  the  hocks  remain  out  in  rear  or  are  thrown 
to  one  side  to  avoid  an  engagement,  which  is  always  difficult 
at  first,  the  legs  intervene  to  push  the  haunches  gently  under 
the  mass.    The  hand  remains  passive. 

Exercises  in  halting  serve  to  gather  the  horse's  forces,  to 
place  his  head  and  haunches,  and  to  make  him  lighter. 

The  halt  must  be  practiced  gradually  and  very  gently  at 
first.  One  should  be  very  careful  with  horses  whose  necks  are 
"upside  down,"  who  are  long  coupled,  sway  backed  or  too  nerv- 
ous. Horses  of  this  kind  are  generally  weak  in  the  loin.  They 
halt  with  difficulty  and  the  remedy  becomes  worse  than  the 
evil.  The  halt  must  be  avoided  entirely  with  horses  that  are 
lacking  in  impulsion. 

Summing  up,  halting  is  suitable  only  for  horses  having  good 
loins  and  sufficient  vigor  in  the  haunches  and  hocks  to  stop 
easily  on  the  hindquarters. 

This  does  not  apply  to  the  half  halt — defined  in  the  chapter 
on  aids — which  irritates  the  horse  less  than  the  halt.  One 
may  therefore  employ  it  without  fear  on  all  horses  except, 
again,  those  that  hold  back.  The  result  sought  is  to  lighten 
the  forehand,  and  consequently  to  lower  the  croup,  without 
producing  a  slowing  of  the  gait. 

The  broken  line,  circle,  and  serpentine,  when  the  turns  are 
demanded  by  the  reins  alone  acting  on  the  forehand,  have  the 
effect  not  only  of  suppling  the  shoulders  but  also  of  favoring 
the  engagement  of  the  haunches. 

The  same  movements,  when  the  leg  pushes  the  haunches  to 
the  outside,  give  great  mobility  to  the  hindquarters.  In  using 
them  one  should,  therefore,  have  in  mind  the  end  to  be  ob- 
tained and  employ  them  accordingly. 

Mobility  of  the  hindquarters  is  desirable  only  in  so  far  as 
there  is  strict  obedience  to  the  leg.  Its  sole  object  is  to  enable 
the  horse  to  be  kept  straight  under  all  circumstances. 

The  half-turn,  with  the  radius  progressively  decreased,  leads 


—so- 
lo a  more  and  more  marked  engagement  of  the  haunches.    The 
half  turn  on  the  haunches  (about  on  the  haunches)  is  the  final 
expression  of  the  half  turn  and  demands  the  ultimate  degree 
of  engagement  of  the  hocks. 

The  half  turn  in  reverse,  as  the  radius  is  decreased,  tends  to 
mobilize  the  haunches.  The  half  turn  (about)  on  the  fore- 
hand, which  is  its  limit,  gives  absolute  mobility  of  the  hind- 
quarters by  displacing  them  about  the  forehand. 

False  Gallop.  The  horse  is  prepared  for  work  at  the  false 
gallop  by  the  broken  line  at  the  gallop  and  by  accentuating 
progressively  the  false  turns  involved  in  this  movement.  Fol- 
lowing this,  the  figure  of  eight  and  serpentine  are  taken  up. 

The  work  on  the  figure  of  eight  is  commenced  on  a  large 
eight  inscribed  in  the  legth  of  the  riding  hall  and  executed 
only  once  in  a  period  of  work  (two  consecutive  changes  of 
hand).  When  the  movement  is  executed  without  excitement 
the  horses  are  kept  for  a  longer  time  on  this  large  eight.  When 
they  gallop  calmly  and  well  extended  the  figure  is  made  smaller 
little  by  little.  The  suppling  should  be  sought  for  by  frequent 
periods  of  work  on  the  large  eight  rather  than  by  an  exagger- 
ated closing  of  the  figure,  especially  is  this  advisable  in  the 
case  of  cold-blooded  horses. 

Similarly,  the  serpentine  at  first  consists  of  only  one  turn 
v>hich  is  made  gradually  smaller  as  the  horse  progresses. 

This  work  leads  the  horse  himself  to  modify  his  balance  and 
it  gives  the  alternation  of  extension  and  engagement  which  is 
sought  in  all  these  gymnastics. 

To  avoid  at  this  time  the  unnecessary  difficulty  or  departing 
with  the  false  gallop  one  should  always  commence  by  a  true 
turn.  Then,  during  the  false  turn  the  inside  rein,  by  calculated 
opposition,  maintains  the  inside  shoulder  and  haunch  in  rear 
so  as  to  avoid  the  change  of  lead  This  opposition  diminishes 
as  the  horse  takes  the  false  turn  more  willingly. 

Backing.  Backing  often  may  be  a  punishment  for  a  horse 
if,  in  spite  of  halts  and  half  halts,  he  seeks  to  force  the  hand 
or  to  bear  heavily  on  the  bit,  but  it  is  a  means  whereby  the 
spinal  column  is  made  supple  and  it  helps  the  horse  to  place 


—81— 

himself  on  his  haunches.  Backing  represents  a  further  degree 
in  the  gymnastics  of  alternately  reducing  and  increasing  the 
base  of  support. 

The  suppling  undergone  by  the  young  horse  in  the  extension 
and  collection  of  gaits  will  generally  lead  to  his  backing  with- 
out difficulty.  Sometimes,  however,  through  pain  or  stubborn- 
ness he  may  refuse  to  back,  he  may  brace  himself  with  his 
haunches,  contract  the  spinal  column  and  resist  the  action  of 
the  reins. 

These  bad  habits  if  left  alone  would  result  in  an  habitual 
reluctance  to  back.  The  rider  should  overcome  them  by  dis- 
placing the  croup  with  the  action  of  the  leg,  or  by  opposing 
alternately  each  of  the  shoulders  to  the  corresponding  haunch. 
He  must  profit  by  the  displacement  of  the  haunch  to  resume 
the  action  of  the  hands. 

In  the  execution  of  this  movement  the  horse  should  be  calm 
and  straight.  He  should  back  slowly,  at  the  same  time  be 
ready  to  move  forward  at  the  call  of  the  legs.  In  the  begin- 
ning it  is  best,  especially  with  high  spirited  horses,  to  follow 
the  movement  of  backing  by  again  moving  forward  and  then 
by  rest  with  reins  free. 

When  these  results  have  been  obtained,  the  horse  should 
then  be  made  to  pass  more  freely  from  the  forward  to  the 
backward  movement  and  vice  versa,  and  thus  be  balanced 
between  the  two.  In  this  exercise  only  a  few  steps  should  be 
taken  in  each  direction. 

Suppling  of  the  Spinal  Column  is  obtained  by  the  move- 
ments just  enumerated,  but  chiefly,  by  work  on  a  small  circle 
executed  at  the  gallop  the  speed  of  which  is  progressively  in- 
creased. This  is  the  best  lateral  suppling  and  it  should  be 
practiced  frequently. 

When  galloping  horses  on  the  circle  the  instructor  avoids 
the  fatigue  of  prolonged  work  on  short  turns  by  alternately 
diminishing  the  circle  for  several  turns,  then  enlarging  it.  The 
tendency  on  the  part  of  the  horse  to  slow  down  as  the  circle  is 
diminished,  must  be  overcome.     The  short  turn  is  easy  at  the 


—82— 

slow  gallop ;  it  is  the  rapid  gait  at  the  short  turn  which  is  diffi- 
cult and  which  must  be  obtained. 

To  Obtain  Free  Play  of  the  Shoulders.  The  horse  at 
liberty  moves  and  balances  himself  with  ease  but  the  young 
horse  generally  becomes  heavy  on  the  hand  when  mounted. 
This  change  results  partly  from  the  addition  of  the  rider's 
v/eight  and  partly  because  the  horse  can  balance  himself  for 
movements  which  he  himself  wishes  to  execute  but  does  not 
yet  know  how  to  balance  himself  for  those  which  his  rider 
demands. 

The  gymnastics  best  qualified  to  give  mobility  to  the  should- 
ers and  lightness  to  the  forehand  include :  slowing ;  halts ; 
half  halts;  backing;  the  broken  line  and  serpentine  with  the 
turns  being  demanded  by  the  reins  alone  thus  making  the 
forehand  pivot  about  the  haunches;  half -turns  progressively 
smaller  until  the  half  turn  on  the  haunches  is  reached;  two 
tracks ;  and  shoulder  in. 

Broken  lines  at  the  gallop  with  continually  shorter  turns  are 
of  especial  advantage.  This  is  the  best  training  to  render  the 
horse  supple  and  mobile  in  the  gallop,  easy  to  guide  and  clever 
on  varied  ground. 

All  these  movements  are  demanded  by  the  bearing  rein 
which  acts  indirectly  but  effectively  upon  the  shoulders. 

It  should  be  understood  that  the  various  movements  enum- 
erated above  will  not  in  themselves  accomplish  the  desired 
results.  The  rider  must  keep  his  object  constantly  in  mind 
and  when  resistance  is  met  he  must  act  with  tact;  that  is,  with 
more  or  less  energy  or  gentleness  according  to  the  circum- 
stances. 

The  various  movements  should  be  wide  at  the  beginning  in 
order  not  to  discourage  the  horse,  later  they  can  be  made  pro- 
gressively smaller  so  that  finally  the  complete  submission  to 
the  aids — necessary  in  individual  combat — will  be  obtained. 

The  forward  movement  must  be  carefully  preserved  during 
all  gymnastic  work  and  it  is  always  required  after  collected 
work  in  order  to  let  the  horse  stretch  himself  and  extend  the 


gait  before  he  is  rested.  This  avoids  the  danger  of  losing 
impulsion. 

To  Obtain  Suppleness  of  the  Jaw.  Suppleness  of  the  jaw 
is  the  guarantee  of  lightness;  it  indicates  a  general  decon- 
traction.  When  the  horse's  mouth  is  normal  the  gymnastic 
exercises  which  supple  and  strengthen  him  lead  naturally  to 
this  mobility  of  the  jaw.  It  is,  in  a  way,  the  proof  of  his  will- 
ing obedience.  But  some  horses  in  spite  of  a  relative  supple- 
ness of  the  rest  of  the  body  will  retain  an  abnormal  stiffness 
of  the  jaw. 

Since  the  origin  of  all  defenses  is  pain,  contraction  of  the 
horse's  jaw  may  be  provoked  by  a  bit  badly  adapted  to  his 
conformation,  or  the  mouth  may  be  too  sensitive  for  the  bit,  or 
again  the  sensibility  may  have  been  deadened  until  the  effects 
of  the  bit  are  no  longer  felt. 

The  first  remedy  consists  in  the  proper  selection  and  adjust- 
ment of  the  bit.  The  kind  of  bit,  its  position  in  the  mouth, 
the  dimensions  of  the  branches  ,the  thickness  of  the  canons, 
the  freedom  or  liberty  of  the  tongue,  and  the  relative  tightness 
of  the  curb  chain,  all  afford  the  means  whereby  we  may  over- 
come many  resistances. 

Nevertheless,  under  the  action  of  a  brutal  or  even  merely 
awkward  hand  the  best  bitted  horse  may  acquire  positions  or 
habits  which  permit  him  to  avoid  the  constraint  of  the  bit,  and 
which  are  therefore  true  defenses.  In  such  cases  it  is  neces- 
sary to  reeducate  the  mouth  by  means  of  appropriate  suppl- 
ings,  the  object  of  which  is  to  destroy  the  bad  habits  in  order 
to  replace  them  by  good  ones. 

A  horse  is  said  to  yield  to  the  action  of  the  hand  if  when  in 
gentle  contact  with  it  he  half  opens  the  mouth  under  the  pres- 
sure of  the  fingers,  moves  for  an  instant  his  tongue  and  the 
bits  and  then  immediately  retakes  contact.  The  yielding 
should  be  confined  to  the  mouth  without  provoking  the  least 
movement  of  the  head  or  neck. 

The  first  elements  of  this  suppling  may  be  taught  dismount- 
ed at  the  halt  or  at  the  walk.  However  the  impulsion  is  nil 
or   very  slight   and  therefore  in   secondary   equitation   it   is 


—84— 

sometimes  unwise  to  supple  the  mouth  in  this  way.  In  order 
to  obtain  the  best  result  the  rider  should  work  his  horse  at  a 
free  gait.  By  gentle  contact  of  the  hand  he  will  induce  the 
horse  to  take  a  confident  bearing  on  the  bit  in  whatever  posi- 
tion is  most  familiar  to  the  horse  even  though  it  is  not  the 
correct  one.  Then  when  this  has  been  obtained  the  rider  may 
have  recourse  to  the  "division  of  supports." 

The  division  of  supports  means  the  relaxing  of  one  or  sev- 
eral reins  while  the  fingers  are  closed  on  the  others.  The 
normal  symmetry  of  the  bearing  of  the  bits  is  thus  broken. 
The  rider  uses  successively  the  different  combinations  of  the 
reins  by  actions  more  or  less  close  together ;  for  example,  give 
and  take,  play  the  snaffle  from  side  to  side,  alternate  the  snaf- 
fle and  curb. 

These  different  actions  tend  to  defeat  resistances  by  con- 
stantly changing  the  bearing  point  in  the  mouth  and  to  reduce 
the  contraction  of  the  muscles  by  their  intermittent  effect. 

The  half  halt  or  vibrations  may  be  executed  on  one  or  sev- 
eral of  the  reins  of  the  combination  in  use,  according  to  the 
kind  of  resistance  offered  by  the  horse,  and  they  will  lead 
sooner  or  later  to  the  relaxation  demanded. 

When  by  repetition  the  horse  obeys  without  hesitation  and 
when  all  ttie  combinations  of  reins  lead  to  this  same  submis- 
sion, the  education  of  the  mouth  is  finished. 

The  advantages  of  the  relaxation  of  the  jaw  are  reflected 
in  the  poll  and  neck,  the  muscles  of  which  are  not  slow  to  re- 
lax. At  first  the  neck  retakes  its  natural  position.  Then  as 
a  result  of  progressive  gj^mnastics  it  arrives  at  the  ramener 
(gather) ,  the  position  indispensable  to  easy  control  of  the 
horse. 

When  practicing  the  supplings  of  the  jaw  great  care  must 
be  taken  to  preserve  impulsion.  One  must  not  reward  the 
horse  by  dropping  down  to  a  slower  gait,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, must  yield  and  caress  while  extending  the  gait.  This 
local  gymnastic  (jaw  flexion)  must  be  limited  to  necessity. 
Harmony  of  all  the  forces  is  the  true  object  of  training  and 
must  be  kept  always  in  mind. 


—85— 

Two  Tracks  and  Shoulder-In.  Two  tracks  executed  by 
lateral  aids  is  a  movement  that  may  be  employed  when  riding 
the  horse  alone  or  in  class. 

When  the  horse  is  marching  to  the  right  hand  the  movement 
on  two  tracks  is  obtained  by  the  use  of  the  left  rein  and  leg 
which  act  by  pushing  the  shoulders  and  haunches  toward  the 
right ;  the  horse  is  then  bent  away  from  the  side  toward  which 
he  moves. 

In  this  movement  the  shoulders  and  haunches  follow  two 
parallel  paths ;  when  gaining  ground  to  the  right  the  members 
of  the  left  lateral  biped  cross  in  front  of  those  of  the  right 
lateral  biped ;  when  gaining  ground  to  the  left  the  reverse  is 
true. 

Two  tracks  is  a  useful  training  movement  to  enhance  the 
horse's  knowledge  of  the  effects  which  a  combination  of  aids 
may  produce ;  it  constitutes  in  addition  an  excellent  gymnastic 
exercise  for  the  colt. 

This  movement  should  be  demanded  for  a  short  period  only 
and  on  the  diagonals  or  on  inside  track — i.e.,  away  from  the 
wall.  When  executed  on  the  track,  two  tracks  has  the  bad 
effect  of  teaching  the  horse  to  be  guided  by  the  wall  and  not  by 
the  aids.  Also  it  frequently  happens  that  the  horse  is  not  able 
to  pass  the  outside  leg  in  front  of  the  inside  through  fear  of 
striking  the  wall;  but  instead  he  passes  it  behind  the  inside 
leg,  and  this  does  not  give  the  desired  result. 

If  the  displacement  of  the  forehand  in  relation  of  the  hind 
quarters  is  slightly  accentuated  by  more  pronounced  action  of 
the  hand  and  leg,  the  horse  passes  from  the  gymnastic  of  Udo 
tracks  to  that  of  shoulder-in. 

The  horse  is  said  to  be  on  right  "shoulder-in"  (the  right 
shoulder  inside  the  arc  of  the  circle  inscribed  by  the  spinal 
column)  when  he  marches  bent  to  the  right ;  he  is  said  to  be  on 
the  left  shoulder-in  when  he  marches  bent  to  the  left. 

In  whatever  direction  one  is  moving  the  horse  may  be  placed 
and  worked  alternately  with  the  right  shoulder-in  and  with  the 
left  shoulder-in. 


—86— 

The  movement  is  executed  at  the  commands  "Right  shoulder- 
in,"  "Straighten,"  "Left  shoulder-in,"  "Straighten." 

For  example,  if  the  horse  is  to  be  placed  in  the  position  of 
right  shoulder-in  and  is  to  be  worked  most  favorably  in  that 
position,  the  shoulders  are  moved  off  the  line  of  march  by  the 
action  of  the  right  rein  (openiyig  rein)  strengthened  by  the  leg 
on  the  same  side.  The  horse  is  then  in  the  first  step  of  a  turn. 
As  soon  as  he  is  in  this  oblique  and  circular  position  the  line 
of  direction  previously  followed  is  again  taken  up,  all  the  while 
keeping  the  horse  bent  and  crossing  his  legs.  The  right  rein 
now  becomes  a  bearing  rein  of  opposition  and  acts  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  left  haunch.  It  affects  the  horse's  whole  body 
bending  and  pushing  it  forward  and  to  the  left.  The  right  leg, 
acting  slightly  in  rear  of  the  girth,  likewise  aids  in  holding  the 
haunches  toward  the  left.  The  left  hand,  after  having  yielded, 
limits  the  bend  of  the  neck  and  strengthens  the  action  of  the 
right  rein ;  it  also  draws  the  forehand  forward  and  to  the  left. 
The  left  leg  acts  on  the  girth  to  keep  up  the  forward  movement. 

This  exercise  gives  the  horse  complete  suppleness  and  great 
freedom  in  all  parts  of  the  body.    It  brings  about : 

(1)  Freedom  of  the  shoulders,  obedience  to  the  hand,  and 
consequent  lightness  in  the  forehand. 

(2)  Suppleness  of  the  haunches,  obedience  to  the  leg,  and 
consequent  engagement  of  the  hind  quarters. 

(3)  Pliability  of  the  spinal  column  giving  harmony  be- 
tween forehand  and  haunches. 

It  leads  to  free  play  of  the  shoulders  because  when  the  horse 
works  vigorously  while  thus  bent,  the  right  leg  is  obliged  to 
describe  a  movement  of  rotation  and  to  lift  itself  in  order  to 
pass  in  front  of  the  left. 

It  leads  to  agility  of  the  haunches  because  the  right  haunch 
is,  on  the  contrary,  obliged  to  loiuer  itself  in  order  to  allow  the 
right  hind  to  pass  in  front  of  the  left  hind.  This  results  in 
the  desired  engagement  of  the  hindquarters. 

It  gives  suppleness  and  pliability  to  the  spinal  column  be- 
cause of  the  continuous  play  of  the  vertebrae  in  all  directions. 

It  puts  the  horse  up  to  the  bit  because  the  leg  acts  in  the 


same  direction  as  the  hand  obliging  him  to  accept  the  tension 
of  the  rein. 

It  discipHnes  the  horse  to  the  leg  because  the  rein,  acting  in 
the  same  direction  as  the  leg,  obliges  him  to  understand  and  ac- 
cept its  action. 

Shoulder-in  is,  therefore,  the  synthesis  of  all  of  the  gym- 
nastic movements  that  may  be  demanded  of  the  horse,  and  it 
is  certainly,  as  La  Gueriniere  says,  "The  first  and  last  of  the 
lessons  that  one  may  give  to  the  horse."  Its  execution  is  easy 
and  its  results  excellent  and  quick. 

One  must  avoid  executing  this  movement  on  the  track  for 
the  horse  is  then  attracted  by  the  track  and  he  will  seek  con- 
stantly to  reenter  it  and  will  only  bend  his  neck  instead  of 
freeing  his  shoulders  as  is  desired. 

Shoulder-in  is  first  demanded  on  the  circle.  Gradually  the 
horse  is  made  to  understand  it  by  moving  him  off  the  circle  for 
several  steps  at  a  time ;  he  is  then  rewarded,  straightened  and 
the  lesson  repeated.  As  soon  as  the  horse  understands  what 
is  asked  of  him  and  the  movement  is  well  executed  at  the  walk. 
it  is  repeated  at  the  trot. 

For  good  execution  of  the  movement  it  is  necessary  that  the 
hand  which  retains  the  inside  shoulder  should  act  rather 
steadily  on  a  short  rein  and  not  operate  by  any  traction  from 
front  to  rear. 

The  horse  should  be  exercised  frequently  in  this  movement. 
The  shoulders  must  be  carefully  alternated.  Between  each 
change  he  should  be  moved  on  the  straight  line  for  several 
steps.  These  supplings  should  be  of  short  duration  only.  One 
should  profit  by  the  engagement  of  the  hind  legs  to  push  the 
horse  into  a  free,  extended  trot. 

The  Extended  Trot.  The  extended  trot  is  a  very  regular 
trot  of  great  extension,  produced  by  the  energetic  action  of 
the  haunches  and  the  hocks.  It  is  obtained  when  impulsion 
has  been  accumulated  in  the  hindquarters  by  the  action  of  the 
legs  and  the  rider  eases  the  hand,  contenting  himself  with  giv- 
ing the  head  and  neck  only  the  support  necessary  to  facilitate 
the  extension  of  the  gait. 


—88— 

At  first  it  is  demanded  during  a  few  strides  only.  As  the 
horse  becomes  more  vigorous,  better  disciplined,  and  better 
able  to  use  his  strength,  this  trot  may  be  prolonged  but  it 
should  not  be  sustained,  at  least  in  training,  for  more  than  a 
hundred  yards.  A  free  extended  walk  with  loose  rein  should 
always  follow  the  extended  trot. 

This  gait  alternated  with  shoulder-in  makes  the  horse  bold 
and  light. 

Obtaining  Balance.  In  the  extensions,  collections  and 
changes  of  gaits  which  have  just  been  studied,  there  was  al- 
ways an  underlying  obligation  on  the  rider  to  avoid  contradic- 
tion of  the  aids  by  inclosing  the  horse  between  active  legs  and 
hand.  The  rule  must  be  observed  that  only  by  an  exact  balance 
of  hand  and  leg  action  is  his  impulsion  carefully  preserved 
and  his  submission  retained.  But  as  training  progresses  to- 
v;ards  perfection,  these  actions  tend  to  approach  each  other 
Until  finally  they  seem  to  merge  into  one  another.  The  horse, 
thus  balanced  between  hand  and  legs  moves  with  high  strides 
in  a  sort  of  equilibrium.  This  is  nothing  else  than  the  "ras- 
sembler"  while  marching  which  has  for  its  object  the  shorten- 
ing of  the  animal's  base  of  support  so  that  he  then  works  on  a 
short  base.  This  accentuates  his  mobility  while  necessarily 
reducing  his  speed. 

When  it  is  desired  to  return  to  an  extended  gait  it  is  neces- 
sary to  abandon  the  rassembler  and  to  allow  the  impulsion  to 
pass ;  then  the  neck  stretches  out,  the  gait  is  extended,  and  the 
horse  works  again  on  a  long  base. 

The  object  of  the  changes  of  gait  and  the  increase  and  de- 
crease of  speed  of  which  we  have  just  spoken  is  to  oblige  the 
horse  to  work  on  a  short  or  long  base  according  to  circum- 
stances and  to  accustom  him  to  pass  from  the  most  collected 
work  to  the  most  extended  as  in  outdoor  equitation.  In  a 
\^  ord,  it  is  to  put  the  horse  in  balance. 

Remarks  on  the  Gaits.  From  the  mechanism  of  the  walk, 
trot,  and  gallop,  one  may  make  some  observations  which  are 
very  useful  in  training. 

It  is  very  necessary  that  the  rider  should  know  how  to  take 


—89—         

a  certain  gait,  and  to  maintain  or  to  change  that  gait.  Now 
in  the  walk  and  trot,  the  lateral  bipods  move  in  parallel  planes ; 
in  the  gallop,  on  the  contrary,  the  horse  tends  to  travel  with 
one  haunch  slightly  to  the  side.  This  suffices  to  show  the 
rider  that  in  the  walk  and  trot  the  horse  should  be  held  ab- 
solutely straight,  while  in  the  gallop  he  should  yield  towards 
one  haunch  very  slightly. 

With  a  young  horse,  therefore,  whenever  the  rider  wishes 
to  take  the  gallop  he  should  give  him  this  natural  position.  On 
the  other  hand,  when  he  wishes  to  pass  from  the  gallop  to  the 
trot  or  walk  he  should  straighten  his  horse. 

The  rider  should  also  be  able  to  obtain  when  desired  those 
gaits  which  allow  the  horse  to  cover  the  most  ground  with  the 
least  fatigue.  For  the  horse  to  expend  a  minimum  of  energy 
the  impulsion  must  all  act  in  the  direction  of  the  movement. 
But  the  horse  may  travel  too  high,  too  low.  or  both  too  high- 
and  too  low  at  the  same  time. 

The  horse  travels  high  when  suppled  and  trained,  and  cor-- 
rectly  ridden,  he  assumes  the  rassembler  in  marching.    Then 
the  muscles  of  the  high,  flexed  neck  will,  in  their  contraction, 
lift  the  forelegs,  and  at  the  same  time  the  hind  legs,  engaged 
under  the  mass,  will  have  a  similar  upward  action.     In  this 
position,  with  flexed  joints,  his  speed  is  limited  since  the  ex- 
cessive elevation  causes  a  reduction  in  extension.     However, 
this  position  is  most  favorable  to  rapid  changes  of  balance,  and 
therefore  of  direction  and  gait.    It  finds  frequent  employment- 
in  secondary  equitation  for,  in  both  maneuvering  and  individ-^ 
ual  combat,  the  horse  should  be  able  to  work  on  a  short  base. 

The  horse  may  travel  high  in  front  and  low  behind.  When 
ridden  by  an  inexperienced  rider  he  may  hold  his  head  high 
from  inclination  or  from  force.  As  in  the  preceding  case,  the 
muscles  of  the  neck,  by  their  contraction,  lift  the  forelegs,  but 
the  hind  legs,  placed  far  away  from  the  front  legs,  can  not  en- 
gage. Their  motion  will  be  perky,  the  spinal  column  will  have 
no  play,  and  the  horse  will  move  with  great  expenditure  of 
energy  and  with  great  difficulty  in  the  loin  and  hind  legs. 

Finallv,  the  horse  travels  low  when  he  moves  with  his  neck 


—90— 

extended  so  that  its  direction  approaches  the  horizontal.  The 
muscles  of  the  neck  in  this  position  draw  the  forelegs  forward 
and  not  upward.  The  hindquarters  under  the  action  of  the 
rider's  legs  may  easily  engage  under  the  mass  because  the 
position  of  the  neck  allows  the  spinal  column  to  arch  and  then 
extend  in  the  direction  of  the  movement.  This  position  will 
therefore  favor  speed,  and  all  the  horse's  efforts  will  tend  to 
produce  forward  movement  with  a  minimum  of  fatigue  and 
expenditure  of  energy.  It  is  this  position  which  the  rider 
should  seek  to  impose  on  the  horse  whenever  he  wishes  to  work 
on  a  long  base. 

Some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  gaits  were  discussed  under 
breaking,  but  considered  from  the  view  point  of  training  they 
offer  still  further  possibilities. 

A  free  walk,  extended  without  exaggeration,  constitutes  a 
rest.  It  is  therefore  an  excellent  reward,  at  the  disposal  of  the 
rider,  to  show  the  horse  his  satisfaction  with  a  well-executed 
movement,  and  it  should  be  used  frequently. 

Furthermore,  at  this  gait  the  seat  is  steady  and  the  rider 
is  in  full  control  of  his  aids,  therefore,  he  should  use  it  when 
correcting  faulty  positions  of  the  horse  and  when  giving  him 
the  proper  position  preceding  a  new  movement.  The  horse  is 
more  apt  to  obey  in  proportion  to  the  clearness  of  the  effects 
of  the  aids,  and  he  is  better  balanced  as  the  gait  is  reduced. 
Therefore,  at  the  walk  he  is  in  the  best  possible  position  to 
receive  his  lessons,  and  each  new  movement  or  position  should 
be  taught  at  the  walk  before  proceeding  to  the  more  rapid 
gaits.  However,  this  gait  is  slow  and  there  is  little  gymnastic 
effect  on  the  horse's  joints  and  muscles,  especially  in  lateral 
movements. 

At  the  gallop  an  excellent  exercise  for  the  spinal  column  may 
be  practiced  by  extending  and  collecting  the  gait  on  straight 
lines.  Work  on  two  tracks  at  the  gallop  has  however  no  par- 
ticular useful  effect  since  in  this  movement  the  horse  moves 
b>  a  series  of  bounds  parallel  to  himself  and  without  crossing 
his  legs  so  that  he  expends  no  great  effort. 

The  movement  on  two  tracks  at  the  trot  is  a  suppling  ex- 


1 


—91— 

ercise  which  becomes  more  effective  as  the  impulsion  increases 
and  the  gait  is  extended.  But  in  order  that  the  left  members, 
for  example,  shall  open  widely  toward  the  left  and  the  right 
members  shall  pass  in  front  of  them,  the  horse  must  move 
with  long  strides  and  the  speed  must  be  maintained,  otherwise 
there  would  be  no  deep  work  of  the  muscles  and  no  unusual 
play  of  the  joints;  in  other  words,  neither  suppling  nor 
impulsion. 

The  Gallop  Depart.  The  importance  of  the  gallop  requires 
that  the  rider  be  familiar  with  all  details  of  this  gait,  for  the 
manner  in  which  the  horse  takes  it,  keeps  it,  modifies  it,  or 
leaves  it  has  great  influence  on  its  value.  Furthermore,  this 
one  more  or  less  complicated  movement  brings  out  all  the 
rider's  skill  and  requires  implicit  obedience  on  the  part  of  the 
horse.  In  obtaining  it  the  rider  may  apply  all  the  principles 
set  forth  in  training  and  he  may  demonstrate  in  detail  the  role 
and  value  of  the  aids.  To  analyze  completely  the  gallop  de- 
parts is  to  sum  up  all  training.  The  study  of  this  one  move- 
ment will  show  how  all  others  are  obtained. 

The  horse  at  liberty  takes  the  gallop  in  different  ways  ac- 
cording to  the  circumstances  which  provoke  it;  that  is,  by  a 
sort  of  loss  of  balance  in  throwing  his  weight  forward,  or  by 
engaging  his  hocks  under  the  mass  in  balancing  himself. 

Mounted,  he  acts  in  the  same  way  when  he  takes  the  gallop 
voluntarily  and  not  in  response  to  action  of  the  aids,  as  by  a 
cluck  of  the  tongue,  crack  of  the  whip,  fear,  etc. 

When  the  rider  desires  to  obtain  the  gallop  by  use  of  the 
aids  he  must  consider  the  effects  which  the  hand  and  legs  may 
produce.  The  partially  trained  horse  can  understand  only  a 
part  of  the  effects  of  the  aids.  In  order  that  the  horse  may 
understand  that  the  sensation  he  receives  calls  for  the  gallop, 
he  must  first  be  placed  in  such  a  position  that  all  confusion 
and  hesitation  are  removed  and  only  one  movement  is  left  to 
be  executed — the  one  demanded.  Position  should  always  pre- 
cede action,  regardless  of  whether  the  horse  takes  the  gallop 
through  loss  of  balance  or  while  in  perfect  balance. 

The  very  mechanism  of  the  gallop  incidates  the  position 


—92— 

which  the  horse  should  be  made  to  take.  The  gallop  is  char- 
acterized by  one  lateral  pair  of  legs  being  more  advanced  than 
the  other ;  thus  in  the  right  gallop  the  two  right  legs  are  more 
advanced  than  the  two  left  legs,  and  vice  versa. 
;  (a)  Young  horses  may  be  ignorant  or  imperfectly  disci- 
plined to  the  aids  but  they  must  nevertheless  be  galloped  for 
their  development  and  to  advance  their  conditioning.  The 
horse  should  be  started  on  some  circular  movement  (circle, 
passing  through  a  corner,  movement  by  the  flank)  where  the 
interior  lateral  biped,  having  less  ground  to  cover  than  the 
exterior  biped,  may  easily  be  advanced  more  than  the  latter. 
By  pushing  more  or  less  vigourously  with  both  legs,  when  the 
horse  is  thus  placed,  the  gallop  will  be  taken  naturally,  espec- 
ially if  the  rider  carries  his  body  forward  and  slightly  to  the 
right  for  the  right  gallop.  The  horse  is,  so  to  speak,  surprised 
and  thrown  forward  by  the  leg  action.  He  more  or  less  falls 
into  the  right  gallop. 

Since  the  reins  do  not  have  to  act  on  the  horse's  balance 
this  method  has  the  advantage  of  leaving  his  head  free  and  of 
putting  him  in  the  gallop  before  he  has  realized  it  and,  at  the 
same  time  (  leaving  him  calm  and  preserving  his  impulsion. 

The  rider  has  profited  by  the  favorable  position  taken  by  the 
horse  himself  to  obtain  the  gallop.  By  this  method  the  horse 
is  induced  to  gallop  and  is  familiarized  with  the  gait  under  the 
rider's  weight ;  by  practice  the  departs  become  easier  and  the 
horse  goes  into  the  gallop  willingly. 

This  method  represents  the  first  step  in  the  lesson  of  the 
gallop. :  It  is  sufficient  to  give  the  colt  the  necessary  work  at 
the  gallop.  In  fact,  it  is  the  only  one  which  may  be  employed 
at  this  time  since  he  is  ignorant  of  even  the  elementary  actions 
of  the  aids. 

(b)  The  gallop  is  not  always  taken  up  on  curves;  one 
should  be  able  to  take  that  gait  without  changing  direction, 
,that  is,  on  straight  lines.  The  work  which  leads  to  this  result 
constitutes  the  second  step  of  the  gallop  depart.  The  rider 
.must  be  able  to  place  the  horse  at  will  in  the  position  that  calls 


—93— 

for  the  gallop  depart.  The  horse  must  have  undergone  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  training  and  should  understand  the  elementary 
effects  of  the  aids. 

To  take  the  right  gallop  one  must  retard  the  left  lateral  or 
advance  the  right  lateral.  Now  to  obtain  that  result  it  is 
sufficient  either  to  cramp  the  play  of  the  left  shoulder  at  the 
same  time  liberating  the  right,  to  push  the  left  haunch  slightly 
toward  the  right,  or  to  bring  the  right  haunch  forward  of  the 
left. 

Any  action  of  the  rein  or  legs  which  will  accomplish  these 
results  will  be  satisfactory  although  to  different  degrees. 
They  will  prepare  the  horse,  according  to  the  degree  of  his 
training,  to  take  the  desired  lead. 

1.  To  retard  the  left  shoulder,  resist  with  the  left  rein  either 
by  a  light  direct  effect  of  opposition  or  by  an  indirect  effect  of 
opposition  calculated  according  to  the  resistances  met. 

2.  In  joining  to  one  of  these  actions  of  the  rein  that  of  the 
left  leg  one  obtains  a  more  or  less  marked  displacement  of  the 
left  haunch  towards  the  right.  This  places  it  in  rear  of  the 
right  haunch  in  the  position  of  the  gallop  right. 

3.  To  obtain  the  gallop  depart  by  advancing  the  right 
haunch,  act  with  the  right  leg  at  the  girth.  This  will  engage 
the  right  hind  leg  under  the  mass  (superior  equitatioyi) . 

It  must  be  understood  that  these  several  actions  may  be 
combined  to  obtain  a  more  prompt  and  exact  effect.  After  the 
position  is  once  obtained  it  is  only  necessary  to  give  the  im- 
pulsion corresponding  to  the  speed  of  the  gallop  by  an  equal 
pressure  of  the  legs. 

Taking  the  right  lead  by  the  resistance  of  the  left  rein  is  a 
simple,  natural  method.  It  is  the  one  which  should  be  em- 
ployed in  the  first  periods  of  training  and,  as  a  general  rule, 
every  time  that  there  is  difficulty  in  starting  with  the  proper 
lead. 

Taking  the  right  lead  by  the  predominating  action  of  the 
left  leg  has  the  advantage  of  traversing  the  horse.  At  the 
same  time  if  the  action  of  the  right  leg  is  too  energetic  he  may 
depart  false. 


—94— 

Taking  the  right  lead  by  the  predominating  action  of  the 
right  leg  at  the  girth  is  certainly  the  most  correct  method  since 
the  horse  takes  the  gait  without  traversing ;  but  the  response 
to  this  action  of  the  leg  is  a  result  of  education  rather  than  a 
natural  effect.  This  quiet,  smooth  manner  of  taking  the  gallop 
can  therefore  be  employed  only  at  the  end  of  training  with 
calm,  obedient  and  quite  sensitive  horses  and  by  experienced 
riders  of  precision  and  tact. 

Distinction  must  be  made  between  conditioning  at  the  gallop 
during  breaking  and  the  gymnastics  of  the  gallop  during  train- 
ir.g.  In  the  latter  case  the  rider  should  require  a  great  many 
gallop  departs  on  each  lead  in  order  to  accustom  the  horse 
thoroughly  to  the  action  of  the  aids  involved.  The  instructor 
must  know  what  he  can  and  should  require,  the  only  fixed  rule 
being  never  to  demand  anything  from  the  horse  until  he  has 
become  calm  and  never  to  stop  after  a  badly  executed 
movement. 

Only  the  determining  aids  have  been  spoken  of ;  they  do  not 
exclude  the  others.  In  regulating  or  strengthening  the  demand 
on  the  horse  for  a  gallop  depart  the  regulating  aids  contribute 
powerfully  to  the  execution  of  the  movement. 

The  progression  proceeds  from  the  known  to  the  unknown. 
To  teach  the  departs,  only  such  aids  are  employed  as  the  horse 
can  understand  according  to  the  degree  of  his  training. 

The  action  of  the  horse  at  liberty  is  observed  and  made  use 
of,  especially  in  the  first  part  of  the  instruction  in  gallop  de- 
yjarts.  Gradually  this  natural  action  is  modified  so  that  the 
straight  is  substituted  for  the  traversed  position  and  the  exact, 
balanced,  instantaneous  depart  for  the  uncertain  and 
disordered. 

To  pass  from  the  gallop  to  the  trot  or  from  the  gallop  to  the 
v/alk  the  horse  is  replaced  in  an  absolutely  straight  position. 
The  horse  then  modifies  the  combination  of  leg  movement  and 
falls  back  into  the  trot  or  walk. 

As  soon  as  the  gallop  is  broken  one  should  act  with  a  degree 
of  firmness  on  the  reins  according  to  the  gait  desired  and  the 
promptness  with  which  one  wishes  it  taken.     The  legs  must 


I 


—95- 


of  course  be  relaxed  but  they  remain  in  contact  ready  to  main- 
tain the  forward  movement  when  the  horse  is  installed  in  his 
new  gait. 

Conditioning.  Conditioning  of  troop  horses  is  only  distant- 
ly related  to  the  training  of  race  horses.  The  application  of 
rules  of  hygiene  and  the  consideration  given  to  the  processes 
01  physical  development  are  of  course  the  same.  Progression 
in  the  work  is  also  derived  from  the  same  principles.  Con- 
ditioning the  troop  horse  does  not  require  his  preparation  for 
trials  of  speed  on  certain  days.  Rather  by  the  rational  de- 
velopment of  all  his  organs  and  physique  generally  must  he 
develop  and  retain  throughout  his  service,  that  endurance, 
hardiness  and  agility  on  varied  ground  which  are  indispensable 
to  the  cavalry  mount. 

Therefore  one  cannot  fix  absolute  rules  for  the  conditioning 
of  the  young  horse.  His  condition,  appetite,  the  preservation 
of  his  legs,  and  his  general  appearance  are  the  only  regulations 
and  guides,  for  training  is  an  art  and  it  evinces  all  the  qualities 
that  distinguish  the  true  horseman. 

The  conditioning  of  the  6-year-old  horse  is  coincident  with 
his  suppling.  Logical  conditioning  requires  daily  sessions 
lasting  between  one  and  one-half  hours  as  a  minimum  and 
three  hours  as  a  maximum.  All  instructions  given  in  breaking 
which  concern  the  general  condition  of  the  horse,  i.e.,  the  im- 
portance of  proper  feeding,  development  of  muscles  and  lungs 
and  the  care  of  the  legs  and  feet,  should  now  be  observed  even 
more  carefully,  for  the  work  is  more  intensive  at  6  than  at 
5  years.  The  objective  of  the  instructor  is  to  bring  all  the 
young  horses  into  condition  so  that  in  the  month  of  August 
they  can  execute  a  march  of  approximately  20  miles  in  four 
hours. 

The  training  at  the  gallop  is  likewise  regulated  so  that  at 
this  time  of  the  year  the  horses  may  execute  a  maneuver  gallop 
of  3,000  to  4,000  yards  over  good  ground. 

Scrupulous  regularity  of  gaits  is  the  basis  of  conditioning. 

The  instructor  assures  the  success  of  this  work  by  employing 


—98— 

:.  reasonable  schedule  of  periods  at  the  trot  and  gallop  com- 
hined  with  periods  at  the  walk  and  at  rest. 

This  work  should  continue  throughout  the  whole  year.  Each 
week  requires  a  slightly  greater  effort  and  a  consequent  de- 
velopment of  the  body.  It  is  sometimes  advisable  to  break  the 
long  ascent  to  condition  by  rest  periods  so  that  the  horse  may 
take  hold  of  himself,  renew  his  strength,  energy  and  spirit, 
and  prepare  himself  to  respond  to  the  new  demands  that  will 
be  made  upon  him.  At  times  it  is  worth  while  to  cut  down  or 
oven  stop  the  work  and  substitute  mere  walks  in  hand,  espec- 
ially in  the  case  of  horses  of  delicate  temperament  or  of  those 
that  have  weak  legs. 

A  horse  in  good  working  condition  presents  a  general  ap- 
pearance of  health  with  wide-awake  eye,  brilliant  coat,  supple 
skin  and  muscles  standing  out ;  his  flank  is  well  let  down  and 
his  gaits  are  easy,  calm  and  indicative  of  strength. 

Jumping.  The  Horse  Mounted.  Skill  over  varied  ground 
and  boldness  over  obstacles  also  should  be  the  objectives  in  a 
well  considered  plan  of  training. 

Work  on  the  longe  over  obstacles  in  the  riding  hall  or  out 
of  doors  is  too  important  an  aid  in  training  to  be  neglected. 
Horses  must  frequently  be  given  this  work. 

Practical  out-of-door  riding  enables  us  to  foresee  the  diffi- 
culties that  are  apt  to  be  encountered  in  jumping.  They  may 
be  grouped  into  a  small  number  of  defenses  which  must  be 
fully  understood  in  order  that  they  may  be  promptly  corrected. 

It  is  a  fact  proven  by  experience  that  a  horse  usually  limits 
his  resistances  to  one  or  two  defenses  that  he  almost  always 
sets  up.  When  he  refuses  to  jump  the  rider  and  the  instruc- 
tor should  at  once  consider  the  cause  and  character  of  the 
defense. 

If  the  horse  has  shown  sufficient  strength  on  the  longe  and 
if  his  jumping  lessons  thereon  have  been  well  conducted,  the 
only  explanation  of  his  refusal  to  jump  mounted  lies  in  his 
rebellion  against  the  aids  or  in  a  lack  of  tact  on  the  rider's 
part.  In  the  first  case  it  is  wise  not  to  insist,  but  to  perfect 
his  training  before  continuing  to  jump.    If  it  is  through  lack 


—97— 

of  skill  or  tact  of  the  rider  it  is  usually  sufficient  to  indicate 
to  him  the  faulty  use  of  the  aids  so  that  he  may  employ  them 
correctly  and  obtain  prompt  obedience. 

The  various  defenses  in  jumping  generally  fall  into  one  of 
the  following  groups : 

The  horse  stops  short  (refuses). 

The  horse  runs  out  at  a  distance  from  the  obstacle. 

The  horse  runs  out  close  to  the  obstacle. 

(a)  If  the  horse  stops  short  it  is  through  lack  of  impulsion 
or  fear  of  the  rider's  hand. 

When  there  is  lack  of  impulsion  one  must  leave  the  obstacle 
and  again  give  the  lesson  of  the  legs  or  that  of  the  spur  if 
necessary.  Then  when  the  horse  is  felt  to  be  anxious  to  go 
forward,  bring  him  back  to  the  obstacle  calmly  and  very 
straight,  pushing  him  only  in  the  last  strides.  Dismount  and 
pet  him  as  soon  as  he  has  obeyed. 

If  the  horse  refuses  through  fear  of  the  hand  the  bitting 
should  be  modified  if  necessary.  The  bar  must  be  lowered  or 
small  obstacles  must  be  chosen  over  which  the  rider  may  pass 
at  the  walk  or  slow  trot.  The  reins  should  be  long,  thus  giving 
the  neck  full  freedom  of  action  and  if  necessary  the  rider  may 
steady  himself  by  holding  the  pommel.  He  should  continue  to 
jump  in  this  manner  until  the  horse  regains  confidence  and 
stretches  out  his  head  and  neck. 

(b)  The  horse  that  runs  out  at  a  distance  from  the  obstacle 
throws  himself  brutally  on  the  rider's  hand;  he  places  his 
head  and  neck  in  a  position  that  enables  him  to  avoid  the  au- 
thority of  the  bit,  and  escapes  in  any  direction  he  can. 

In  this  case,  the  rider  must  analyze  the  difficulty.  He  must 
stop  his  horse,  calm  him,  replace  the  head  and  neck  normally, 
and  bring  him  back,  holding  him  closely  until  the  last  moment 
between  his  active  legs  and  taut  reins. 

The  horse  that  runs  out  close  to  the  obstacle  may  do  so  in 
one  of  two  ways:  either  by  escaping  to  the  side  with  one 
shoulder  in  advance  or  by  swerving  off  at  an  oblique  with  the 
haunches  moving  toward  the  flank  in  advance  of  the  shoulders. 

In  the  first  case  the  shoulder  in  advance  must  be  restrained. 


—98— 

This  may  be  done  by  an  action  of  the  opening  rein  if  the  horse 
shows  a  mere  tentative  desire  to  swerve,  or  by  an  energetic 
intervention  of  the  bearing  rein  if  he  roughly  forces  his 
shoulders  out  of  the  straight  line.  He  must  be  pushed  vig- 
orously at  the  same  time  with  both  legs. 

In  the  second  case,  if  he  escapes  by  the  haunches  leading  to 
the  left  for  example,  the  haunches  may  be  held  in  the  proper 
direction  by  the  use  of  lateral  aids  to  place  the  horse  in  the 
left  "shoulder-in"  (left  indirect  rein  of  opposition,  left  leg). 
It  is  true  that  the  horse's  head  is  drawn  in  the  direction  in 
which  he  wished  to  escape.  But  under  the  action  of  the  left 
rein  and  leg  the  whole  mass — and  it  is  that  which  counts — is 
thrown  toward  the  right.  He  is  straightened  at  the  last  mo- 
ment and  the  impulsion  provoked  by  aids  for  the  shoulder-in 
sends  the  horse  boldly  to  the  jump. 

All  the  defenses  which  have  just  been  analyzed  are  preceded 
at  some  point  or  other  by  a  sudden  abandonment,  on  the  part 
of  the  horse,  of  the  rider's  hand.  He  profits  by  this  moment 
ot  liberty  to  assume  the  position  that  enables  him  to  resist. 
In  approaching  the  obstacle  the  rider  should  control  carefully 
the  source  of  impulsion,  that  is,  the  hindquarters,  with  his 
seat  and  legs,  and  keep  his  reins  stretched  in  order  not  to  lose 
contact  with  the  mouth.  This  is  called  "riding  close  to  the 
horse." 


—99— 

PART  III 

APPLICATION  OF  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  EQUITATION 
AND  HORSE  TRAINING  TO  THE  USE  OF  THE  HORSE 

Chapter  I 
USE  OF  THE  HORSE 

As  a  result  of  breaking  the  horse  has  become  calm  and 
energetic.  His  suppleness  and  physical  strength  have  been 
developed  and  his  resistance  has  been  overcome  by  the  spec- 
ial gymnastics  of  training.  He  recognizes  the  authority  of  the 
aids  and  is  amenable  to  them.  These  acquired  results  must 
now  be  applied  to  the  daily  v^^ork. 

The  rules  set  forth  hereafter  serve  as  a  basis  for  perfecting 
the  riding  instruction  of  the  troopers. 

The  Horse  Straight.  The  first  use  to  make  of  his  obedience 
to  the  aids  is  to  place  the  horse  straight.  This  is  necessary 
because  of  the  position  he  will  occupy  in  ranks ;  and,  too,  when 
the  horse  is  straight  it  is  considerably  easier  to  impose  the 
gait  desired  and  to  regulate  the  speed. 

The  horse  is  straight  when  the  left  shoulder  and  left  haunch 
are  parallel  to  the  right  shoulder  and  right  haunch.  In  equita- 
tion it  is  correct  also  to  say  that  the  horse  is  straight  when 
following  a  curved  line  if  his  two  pairs  of  laterals  (shoulder 
and  haunch)  are  placed  so  as  to  follow  concentric  curves. 

When  the  horse  is  straight  the  two  hind  feet  follow  exactly 
the  line  traced  by  the  two  fore  feet;  the  haunches  and  should- 
ers are  then  in  a  position  which  assures  the  correctness  of  their 
reciprocal  play.  When  the  two  haunches  move  equally  the 
impulsion  is  equally  divided  and  the  transpositions  of  weight 
are  regular  and  easy.  The  forces  emanating  from  the  two  ends 
(fore  and  hindquarters)  of  the  horse  are  not  at  variance  in 
their  combined  play.  Both  work  toward  a  common  end — the 
direct  march  for  which  the  horse  is  perfectly  adjusted. 

If  the  horse  does  not  move  straight,  all  the  harmonious 
agieement  between  the  forces  of  the  forehand  and  those  of 
the  hindquarters  ceases,  the  correct  distribution  of  weight  is 


—100— 

disturbed  and  the  ease  of  changing  direction  is  impaired. 
Furthermore,  the  haunches  oppose  the  shoulders  and  afford 
a  point  of  support  for  resistance. 

It  is  most  important  therefore  that  before  undertaking  any- 
thing further,  the  horse  should  be  placed  and  maintained 
straight. 

The  actions  of  the  reins  and  legs,  studied  previously,  permit 
the  horse  to  be  straightened.  By  utilizing  these  aids  and  re- 
ferring to  the  table  of  effects  produced,  especially  to  those  of 
opposition,  the  rider  will  find  all  necessary  means  to  straighten 
the  shoulders  and  put  the  haunches  into  line  and  to  maintain 
the  horse  in  his  proper  direction.  But  to  obtain  the  result 
which  a  proper  application  of  the  aids  should  afford,  the  en- 
ergy of  impulsion  must  be  maintained.  Easy  gaits  depend 
entirely  on  the  activity  of  the  haunches  and  on  the  horse's 
being  held  straight. 

To  Change  the  Gait  and  in  a  Given  Gait  to  Change 
Speed.  The  change  from  one  gait  to  another  involves  two 
principles  of  training. 

1st.  When  the  legs  close  to  move  the  horse  forward  the  hand 
should  not  oppose  the  movement; 

2nd.  When  the  hand  acts  to  moderate  or  cwtail  the  impul- 
sion the  legs  should  not  be  active. 

Consequently,  when  passing  from  the  halt  to  the  walk,  ex- 
tending the  walk,  passing  from  the  walk  to  the  trot,  or  extend- 
ing the  trot,  the  rider  should  close  his  legs  with  more  or  less 
force  according  to  the  result  sought  and  the  sensitiveness  of 
the  horse.  Simultaneously  he  should  lower  his  hand  and  if 
necessary,  open  his  fingers  to  permit  the  movement. 

The  hands  meanwhile  should  be  ready  to  resist,  and  even  to 
act,  to  regulate  the  gait  should  the  effect  produced  by  the  legs 
be  stronger  than  that  desired. 

To  extend  the  walk,  the  rider  allows  the  horse  great  liberty 
permitting  him  to  extend  his  neck  but  taking  care  not  to  lose 
contact  with  his  mouth.  In  this  position  the  horse  is  steadier 
on  his  legs,  is  better  able  to  see  his  ground  and  is  in  a  position 
favorable  to  movement  without  fatigue. 


—101— 

To  extend  the  trot,  one  must  push  the  horse  forward  and 
keep  him  true  by  not  allowing  one  shoulder  to  be  more  ad- 
vanced than  the  other.  The  rider  may  find  it  convenient  to 
hold  the  reins  separated  in  the  two  hands  so  as  to  obtain  more 
easily  the  effects  of  opposition. 

The  horse  that  pushes  ahead  at  the  trot  and  takes  the  gallop 
without  its  being  asked,  is  always  behind  the  bit.  Under  these 
circumstances  it  is  necessary  to  rein  him  in,  close  the  legs  to 
engender  impulsion,  let  the  neck  stretch  out  and  induce  him 
to  take  a  bearing  on  the  bit. 

On  the  other  hand,  to  slow  the  gallop,  the  trot  and  the  walk, 
or  to  pass  from  the  gallop  to  the  trot,  from  the  trot  to  the  walk, 
from  the  walk  to  the  halt,  or  to  back,  the  rider  "fixes"  the 
hands  with  the  fingers  closed  on  the  adjusted  reins,  straightens 
up  and  carries  the  upper  part  of  the  body  to  the  rear.  Here 
also  the  legs  should  be  ready  to  resist  and  to  act  if  necessary 
to  regulate  the  effect  produced  by  the  tension  on  the  reins. 
However,  such  action  is  not  required  until  the  horse  has  com- 
menced to  yield  to  the  action  of  the  reins. 

To  Maintain  a  Given  Gait  and  a  Given  Rate.  With  well 
balanced  horses,  those  that  move  forward  freely  and  remain 
submissive  to  the  aids  and  respectful  of  the  rider's  hand,  a 
soft  tension  on  the  reins  is  sufficient  to  maintain  the  gait  and 
rate.  To  maintain  lightness  and  to  encourage  the  horse  to 
relax  the  jaw  and  gently  champ  the  bit,  one  must  act  by  the 
play  of  the  fingers  or  by  the  division  of  supports,  meanwhile 
maintaining  the  impulsion. 

But  it  frequently  happens  that  the  horse  will  not  maintain 
regular  gaits ;  he  may  be  a  puller  or  he  may  be  sluggish  and 
hold  back. 

Pulling  may  be  due  to  a  number  of  causes  such  as  nervous- 
ness, pain  or  lack  of  balance.  In  any  case  the  resultant  re- 
sistance is  felt  by  the  rider's  hand  in  one  of  two  ways. 

First,  he  may  feel  on  his  hand  an  inert  mass,  heavy  to  carry 
and  difficult  to  displace.  This  is  called  iveight  resistance.  It 
may  be  combatted  by  the  half  halt  which  obliges  the  horse  to 
raise  his  forehand. 


—102— 

Second,  the  reins  may  transmit  to  the  rider's  fingers  the 
feeling  of  the  forces  resulting  from  the  muscular  contractions 
of  the  jaw.  These  are  called  resistances  of  force  and  are  over- 
come by  flexions  or  vibrations. 

Horses  may  take  a  gait  slower  than  the  one  desired  because 
of  laziness,  lack  of  strength,  fear  of  the  hand  or  ignorance  of 
the  positions  favorable  to  the  movement. 

Laziness  should  be  overcome  by  attacking  vigorously  with 
the  legs  or  with  the  spurs  if  necessary,  to  reestablish  a  proper 
respect  for  the  legs. 

If  it  is  through  lack  of  strength  then  the  horse's  vigor  should 
be  improved  by  proper  feeding  and  conditioning,  so  that,  in 
time,  he  will  maintain  the  gait  desired  under  the  action  of  the 
aids. 

When  the  horse  is  afraid  of  the  bit  he  shows  his  fear  by 
raising  his  head  and  refusing  the  hand.  He  thus  crushes  the 
hindquarters  and  instead  of  engaging  the  haunches  he  jigs 
without  gaining  ground.  In  this  case  it  becomes  necessary  to 
modify  the  bitting,  to  give  him  confidence  in  the  hand  by  light 
play  of  the  fingers  and  to  encourage  the  extensions  of  the  neck 
which  lead  to  relaxation  of  the  loin  and  increased  propulsion 
from  the  hindquarters. 

To  sum  up,  a  steady  gait  can  be  maintained  with  a  trained 
horse  by  a  light  hand  and  by  the  play  of  the  fingers  and  by 
never  allowing  the  horse  to  pull. 

A  horse  that  fights  the  bit  requires  either  a  light  hand  that 
constantly  maintains  the  same  passive  tension  on  the  reins  or 
the  use  of  vibrations. 

For  the  horse  that  is  heavy  on  the  forehand,  the  hand  must 
be  firm  and  half  halts  must  be  used.  In  both  cases  the  legs 
should  be  steady  but  passive. 

Finally,  with  horses  that  are  behind  the  bit  one  must  seek 
the  cause  and  act  accordingly  either  by  energetic  action  of  the 
aids  or  by  attention  to  physical  development  and  conditioning. 
Change  of  Direction.  A  turn  is  the  consequence  of  a  new 
objective  which  the  rider  proposes  to  reach.  The  choice  of  a 
point  of  direction  should,  therefore,  precede  the  turn. 


—103— 

In  practice  there  are  three  ways  of  turning:  The  wide 
turn,  the  short  turn  and  the  turn  in  place. 

1.  The  wide  turn  is  executed  while  advancing  and  on  the 
arc  of  a  fairly  large  circle  requiring  room  and  time.  Either 
the  opening  rein  or  bearing  rein  is  used. 

The  opening  rein  indicates  to  the  horse  the  new  direction 
and  the  rider's  legs  push  him  in  this  direction.  This  is  the 
most  elementary  of  the  turns  in  advancing  and  it  is  the  one 
best  understood  by  young  horses.  It  must  therefore  be  used 
not  only  at  the  outset  of  breaking  but  afterward  each  time  the 
horse  resists  by  running  out,  swerving  around,  etc. 

To  obtain  the  complete  result  in  this  turn,  one  should  take 
care  not  to  destroy  the  action  of  the  determining  rein  by  a 
premature  action  of  the  regulating  rein.  At  the  beginning  of 
the  movement  the  regulating  rein  must  be  freely  ceded. 

The  turn  by  the  bearing  rein  and  the  two  legs  is  also  exe- 
cuted while  advancing.  The  weight  of  the  neck  leads  the  horse 
in  the  new  direction  toward  which  both  legs  push  him.  This 
is  the  turn  most  employed  in  riding  out  of  doors.  It  is  also 
the  only  one  which  the  rider  can  use  when  holding  the  reins  in 
cne  hand. 

As  in  the  preceding  turn,  it  is  necessary,  in  order  to  allow 
the  determining  rein  its  full  effect  and  power  of  action,  to  re- 
lax the  regulating  rein  at  the  start  so  as  not  to  interfere  with 
the  position  taken  by  the  horse's  muzzle  required  by  the  bear- 
ing rein.  When  riding  with  the  reins  in  one  hand,  however, 
the  inside  rein  automatically  relaxes. 

2.  The  short  turn,  used  when  the  rider  desires  to  make  a 
quick  change  of  direction  or  lacks  the  necessary  space  for  a 
wide  one,  may  be  accomplished  either  by  lateral  or  diagonal 
effects. 

The  lateral  effect  (right  direct  rein  of  opposition  and  right 
leg)  draws  the  shoulders  to  the  right  and  throws  the  haunches 
more  or  less  quickly  to  the  left.  The  horse  faces  to  the  right 
while  slowing  down. 

This  turn  is  of  common  use  in  training.  It  provides  a  pri- 
mary gymnastic,  short  but  energetic,  to  the  spinal  column, 


—104— 

shoulders  and  haunches.  This  movement  also  gives  the  horse 
his  first  lesson  in  the  action  of  one  leg  alone  and  it  causes  him 
to  accept  the  leg  as  an  aid. 

The  short  turn  by  the  diagonal  effect  (left  indirect  rein  of 
opposition  and  right  leg  to  turn  to  the  right)  is  the  most  col- 
lected, the  .shortest,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  correct  of 
the  turns.  The  left  rein  pushes  the  shoulders  to  the  right, 
the  right  leg  pushes  the  haunches  to  the  left ;  the  horse  faces 
to  the  right  without  slowing,  except  as  a  result  of  the  rearward 
effect  of  the  rein  in  opposition. 

Thus,  of  the  two  wide  turns,  the  first,  using  the  opening  rein, 
is  the  most  elementary,  and  the  second,  with  the  bearing  rein, 
the  most  used  in  out-door-riding.  Of  the  two  short  turns  the 
first,  with  lateral  effect,  is  excellent  for  forcing  obedience  to 
the  leg;  and  the  second  is  the  most  rapid  and  correct. 

The  various  changes  of  direction  which  may  be  demanded 
are: 

The  obliques  (changes  of  hand)  ; 

Broken  lines; 

Movements  by  the  flank; 

The  about ; 

The  circle,  the  half  turn  (the  half  turn  and  change  of 

hand) ; 
The  half  turn  in  reverse   (change  of  hand  and  half 
turn). 
These  movements  find  their  military  application  in  individ- 
ual combats  and  in  the  pursuit  where  successive  changes  of 
objectives  are  demanded  of  the  rider,  often  in  rapid  succession. 

3.  The  turn  in  place  is  used  when  the  rider  is  halted  and 
v/ishes  to  change  direction  without  gaining  ground  to  the 
front.  It  is  executed  on  the  shoulders,  on  the  haunches  or  on 
the  center  of  gravity. 

The  half  turn  on  the  shoulders  (about  on  the  forehand)  is 
the  final  word  of  the  half  turn  in  reverse.  When  executed  cor- 
rectly and  rapidly  it  is  proof  of  the  horse's  submission  to  the 
leg  and  of  the  mobility  of  his  haunches. 


—105— 

The  half  turn  on  the  haunches  (about  on  the  haunches)  is 
the  final  word  of  the  half  turn.  When  executed  correctly  and 
rapidly,  it  is  proof  of  the  lightness  of  the  forehand,  the  supple- 
ness of  the  shoulders,  the  strength  of  the  loin  and  the  obedience 
of  the  haunches. 

If  these  two  movements  are  executed  step  by  step,  the  horse 
will  understand  better  the  mechanism  but  there  will  be  no 
gymnastic  effect.  In  order  that  real  benefit  may  be  derived 
from  them  they  must  be  executed  briskly. 

The  half  turns  on  the  shoulders  and  on  the  haunches  are 
difficult  to  execute  perfectly.  But  the  half  turn  in  place,  where 
the  horse  pivots  on  his  center  of  gravity  while  carrying  his 
shoulders  to  the  right  and  his  haunches  to  the  left  for  ex- 
ample, is  easy  of  execution  and  commonly  used.  It  is  obtained 
by  the  action  of  the  left  indirect  rein  of  opposition  which  car- 
ries the  shoulders  to  the  right  and  causes  the  haunches  to 
swing  toward  the  left,  and  by  the  action  of  the  right  leg  which 
also  carries  the  haunches  to  the  left. 

In  all  changes  of  direction  the  action  of  the  leg  should  pre- 
cede the  action  of  the  hand,  otherwise  the  haunches  will  form 
a  point  of  support  for  resistances  and  cause  a  labored  turn. 
The  leg,  where  it  precedes  the  hand,  assists  the  latter  in  main- 
taining the  new  direction. 

Galloping  a  Horse.  The  average  quality  of  troop  horses 
is  such  that  great  care  must  be  observed  in  the  use  of  rapid 
gaits,  for  their  speed  and  endurance  are  naturally  limited. 
Nevertheless,  the  training  for  the  charge  requires  practice  at 
Ihe  extended  gallop  as  well  as  at  the  intermediate  speeds.  The 
instructor  carefully  supervises  the  details  of  this  work,  chooses 
his  day  and  ground,  and  gradually  teaches  men  and  horses  to 
take  and  maintain  a  sustained  gallop. 

In  these  exercises  the  rider  should  take  care  to  push  his 
horse  up  to  the  hand.  The  more  confidence  the  horse  takes  in 
this  bearing  the  better  he  will  place  himself  to  favor 
speed.  Consequently,  it  is  better  at  first  to  use  a 
snaffle    or     double    snaffle.      The     first    gallops     are     made 


—106— 

easier  by  grouping  the  horses  in  twos  or  threes  ac- 
cording to  their  dispositions.  To  gallop  properly  the 
rider  must  shove  his  feet  home  in  the  stirrups  and  must  have 
the  thighs  against  the  saddle  and  the  lower  leg  fixed  against 
the  horse's  body.  He  should  carry  the  upper  part  of  the  body 
slightly  forward  in  order  to  relieve  the  horse's  loin  and  to 
allow  the  haunches  to  act  with  more  power,  thus  favoring 
speed.  The  seat  is  raised  slightly  in  the  saddle  but  it  should 
be  able  to  resume  its  normal  position  instantly  when  desired. 
This  condition  is  fulfilled  when  the  thighs,  knees  and  calves 
remain  in  adherence  to  the  saddle.  The  reins  are  separated 
as  has  been  described  in  the  school  of  the  trooper. 

The  rider  is  taught  to  gradually  increase  the  speed  up  to  the 
full  run,  then  progressively  to  decrease  the  gait  whilst  main- 
taining contact  with  the  mouth  and  keeping  the  horse  straight. 
These  exercises,  including  the  increase  and  decrease  of  gait 
should  not  exceed  700  to  900  yards.  One  must  be  very  careful 
to  regulate  the  work  according  to  the  age,  development  and 
breeding  of  the  horses.  Galloping  should  be  followed  by  work 
periods  at  the  walk  more  or  less  prolonged  in  proportion  to 
the  speed  and  length  of  the  previous  gallop. 

The  rider  should  take  advantage  of  this  work  to  learn  to 
judge  and  regulate  the  speed  of  his  horse,  and  to  observe,  con- 
sider and  report  all  that  goes  on  about  him;  in  other  words, 
he  should  acquire  and  maintain  at  all  gaits  the  calm,  unper- 
turbed observation  and  judgment  indispensible  to  the  cavalry 
soldier  in  war. 

Cross  Country  and  Over  Obstacles.  Principles  of  equita- 
tion find  their  application  in  riding  across  country  and  in 
jumping.  Boldness,  secure  seat,  steadiness,  suppleness,  re- 
spect for  the  horse's  mouth,  and  balance,  all  of  which  have 
been  mentioned  constantly  in  the  education  of  man  and  horse, 
here  play  most  important  parts. 

Boldness  in  jumping  is  the  first  requisite  of  the  out-of-doors 
rider;  it  is  communicated  instantly  and  unmistakably  to  the 
horse  and  becomes  the  best  guaranty  of  his  clearing  the  ob- 


—107— 

stacle.     If  the  rider  is  not  keen  the  horse  perceives  it  and 
becomes  apprehensive. 

The  seat  is  the  close,  elastic  contact  of  the  buttocks  and 
thighs  with  the  horse.  It  assures  a  good  hand  and  allows  the 
rider  use  of  his  legs  with  which  to  control  impulsion;  and  if 
the  horse  should  make  a  serious  mistake,  the  rider  is  enabled 
to  avoid  a  fall  by  settling  down  deeply  and  securely  into  his 
saddle. 

The  seat  is  independent  of  the  position  of  the  upper  part  of 
the  body.  The  rider  may  carry  his  body  slightly  forward  and 
still  be  well  seated  or  he  may  carry  it  to  the  rear  and  not  be 
well  seated. 

Steadiness  is  defined  in  equitation  as  the  absence  of  all  in- 
voluntary or  useless  movement.  It  precludes  any  exaggerated 
position  of  the  body,  hands  or  legs,  whether  forward  or  to  the 
rear. 

Suppleness  results  from  secure  seat,  steadiness  and  elastic- 
ity of  the  loin.  It  is  this  quality  which  enables  the  rider  to  ap- 
pear to  be  part  of  his  horse  at  all  variations  of  the  gaits,  and  it 
is  called  "going  with  the  horse." 

The  laws  of  balance  and  the  mechanism  of  the  gaits  require 
the  rider  when  working  over  obstacles  not  to  overweight  the 
parts  at  work.  These  are  the  hindquarters,  at  the  moment  of 
taking  off ;  and  the  forehand,  which  receives  the  weight  at  the 
moment  of  landing. 

The  play  of  the  neck  is  more  pronounced  as  the  gait  is  slower 
and  the  leap  more  violent.  In  order  that  the  horse  shall  use  all 
his  strength  and  that  his  mouth  may  not  suffer,  the  rider's 
liand  must  give  freedom  to  the  head  in  accordance  with  the 
energy  of  the  extension. 

The  more  uneven  the  ground  and  the  more  varied  and  dif- 
ficult the  obstacles,  the  more  violent  and  unexpected  are  the 
reactions  and  the  more  difficult  it  becomes  to  apply  these  rules. 
The  necessities  of  maneuver  and  drill  render  their  application 
still  more  difficult,  for  the  initiative  and  independence  of  the 
trooper  is  limited. 


—108— 

At  whatever  gait  employed,  the  rider  approaches  the  ob- 
stacle with  steady  legs,  increasing  their  pressure  if  necessary 
to  assure  impulsion.  He  inclines  the  body  slightly  forward 
although  the  buttocks  remain  in  the  saddle.  The  hands  are 
held  low  and  they  accompany  the  movements  of  the  neck.  If 
necessary  the  fingers  are  opened  to  allow  the  horse  to  make 
full  use  of  his  head  and  neck. 

Thus,  given  plenty  of  impulsion  and  being  well  enclosed  be- 
tween steady  legs  and  long,  stretched  reins,  the  horse  is  in  the 
best  possible  situation  for  jumping.  The  position  might  be 
compared  to  that  of  a  horse  at  liberty  in  a  "chute,"  the  aids 
take  the  place  of  the  sides  of  the  chute  and  the  impulsion  of 
the  legs  substitutes  for  the  whip. 

In  conclusion,  the  best  rule  for  the  rider  in  jumping  is  as 
follows:  jump  neither  before  the  horse  nor  after  the  horse; 
jump  ivith  the  horse. 

Individual  Combat.  The  value  of  the  trooper  in  individual 
combat  is  largely  dependent  upon  the  training  of  his  horse. 
Combat  exercises  should  therefore  tend  to  make  the  horse 
confident  and  fearless.  These  exercises  should  be  conducted 
carefully;  they  might  well  follow  the  outline  given  below: 

(1)  Distribute  a  number  of  dummies  about  the  riding  hall 
in  various  positions  (standing,  kneeling,  lying  down),  and 
make  the  horses  pass  beside  and  over  them  at  the  three  gaits 
until  they  no  longer  take  notice  of  them.  By  riding  with  two 
hands  and  with  the  reins  separated,  and  by  frequent  caressing 
this  result  will  be  obtained  quickly. 

(2)  Have  the  troopers  strike  the  dummies  with  the  saber 
at  all  gaits  and  while  jumping  obstacles,  both  at  will  and  by 
command.  These  exercises  tend  to  make  the  horses  indifferent 
to  the  blows  delivered  by  the  riders.  It  is  inevitable  in  spite 
of  all  precautions  that  during  the  course  of  combat  exercises 
the  horses  will  receive  some  jerks  or  saber  blows.  If  as  a  re- 
sult they  manifest  a  dislike  for  the  work  they  should  be  put 
back  on  these  exercises  until  all  trace  of  resistance  has  dis- 
appeared.   It  is  well  always  to  commence  and  to  conclude  the 


—109— 

work  with  several  minute's  exercise  against  the  dummies. 

After  the  horses  show  entire  indifference  and  freedom,  the 
sections  should  pass  each  other,  merely  crossing  the  blades. 
They  imitate  a  melee  without  saber  blows.  The  melee  is  con- 
ducted at  first  in  the  whole  riding  hall,  then  in  half,  then  in 
•\  quarter,  and  at  the  three  gaits. 

(3)  When  the  horses  are  confirmed  in  this  work  one  should 
pass  to  the  pursuit  of  mounted  dummies,  then  to  the  pursuit 
of  riders,  and  finally  to  the  individual  combat. 

The  serious  demands  made  on  the  horses  by  these  exercises 
require  that  the  periods  be  of  very  short  duration  and  that 
they  be  broken  by  longer  periods  at  a  free  gallop  with  long 
reins  and  by  periods  of  rest  and  utter  relaxation. 

A  horse  that  shows  hesitation  should  be  stopped  and  put 
back  on  the  dummy  exercises  as  described  above. 

Chapter  II 
DEFENSES  OF  THE  RIDING  HORSE 

The  restless  nature  of  a  horse  may  lead  to  a  variety  of  vices 
that  should  be  overcome  as  much  for  the  animal's  preserva- 
tion as  for  the  safety  of  the  rider.  The  solution  of  the  dif- 
ficulties lies  more  in  the  rider's  skill  than  in  trying  to  lay 
down  a  set  of  rules  applicable  to  the  many  cases  that  may 
arise.  The  following  is  therefore  given  as  useful  advice, 
worthy  of  consideration  but  not  to  be  followed  blindly : 

Ignorant  Horses.  When  a  horse  disobeys  through  ignor- 
ance of  what  is  asked  of  him  and  shows  only  a  slight  objection 
or  a  passive  resistance,  he  is  made  to  obey  by  again  taking  up 
his  training  at  the  point  where  he  was  at  fault  and  by  follow- 
ing thereafter  the  series  of  exercises  prescribed  to  complete 
his  education. 

Horses  that  Are  Afraid.  It  is  by  gentleness  and  patience 
that  the  horse  is  given  confidence.  When  the  rider  sees  some- 
thing that  might  frighten  his  horse  he  should  sit  tight,  leave 
his  reins  long,  pet  him,  and  quiet  him  by  the  voice.  If  the 
horse  is  continuously  afraid  of  the  same  object,  show  it  to 


—110— 

him  often,  dismount  and  lead  him  up  to  it  rather  than  drive 
him  with  the  spurs.  If  the  horse  seeks  to  turn  around  through 
fear  hold  him  in  the  straight  path  by  opposing  the  shoulders 
to  the  haunches. 

Horses  With  Bad  Conformation.  The  horse  with  a  poor 
conformation  naturally  suffers  the  consequences  of  weakness 
in  the  parts  concerned  and  resists  the  execution  of  movements 
which  throw  special  stress  on  these  parts.  The  rider  should 
avoid  immoderate  requirements  that  would  result  in  provok- 
ing defenses  in  the  horse  or  in  still  further  damaging  the 
weak  parts. 

Stubborn  Horses.  To  master  a  horse  of  difficult  character 
the  rider  must  prove  that  he  is  the  stronger  and  he  must  never 
let  an  act  of  disobedience  pass  nor  yield  to  a  whim.  It  is  rare 
that  the  horse  can  be  induced  to  yield  without  force;  on  the 
other  hand,  every  concession  on  his  part  should  be  immediately 
rewarded.  With  a  horse  that  no  longer  obeys  the  simultaneous 
action  of  both  legs  it  is  necessary  to  go  back  to  the  leg  lesson 
given  with  the  longe  and  longing  whip.  The  rigid  reins  might 
also  be  employed  in  this  case. 

Horses  that  Rear.  This  defense  begins  with  the  horse's 
halting  and  getting  behind  the  bit.  The  first  thing  to  do  there- 
fore is  to  prevent  his  getting  behind  the  bit  by  vigorous  work 
on  straight  lines  to  produce  forward  movement  and  throw 
weight  on  the  forehand. 

If  the  horse  resists  the  forward  movement  he  must  be  turned 
in  place  to  break  up  the  forces  that  enable  him  to  rear.  In 
swinging  his  haunches  to  the  side  all  parts  of  the  horse  are 
decontracted  and  he  is  prevented  from  throwing  his  weight  on 
the  haunches.  The  use  of  the  rearing  reins  will  help  to  combat 
this  defense. 

Horses  that  Kick.  When  a  horse  has  the  habit  of  kicking, 
the  snaffle  must  be  used  to  prevent  his  lowering  the  head.  At 
the  same  time  he  should  be  vigorously  pushed  with  the  legs. 
It  is  an  error  to  hold  his  head  high  for  it  often  happens  that 
this  defense  is  caused  by  pain  in  the  loins  and  hocks  and  by 


—Ill- 
raising  the  head  one  would  only  increase  the  irritation  and 
provoke  the  defense. 

The  horse  that  kicks  at  the  leg  should  be  put  back  on  the 
lesson  of  the  single  leg  with  the  longe  and  riding  whip.  Every 
time  that  he  tries  this  defense  his  rider  should  immediately 
reply  with  a  vigorous  blow  from  the  spur. 

Horses  that  Fight  the  Hand.  The  causes  that  lead  to 
this  fault  are  numerous.  They  consist  generaHy  of  supersen- 
sitiveness  of  the  bars  of  the  mouth,  a  badly  chosen  bit,  or  a  too 
severe  hand. 

The  methods  indicated  in  training,  for  the  education  of  the 
horse's  mouth,  permit  these  to  be  remedied.  Seek  a  suitable 
bit.  and  if  necessary  discard  the  curb  chain.  The  standing 
martingale  with  a  noseband  may  be  used  advantageously  in 
this  case;  also  work  on  the  longe  with  the  reins  fastened  to  a 
surcingle. 

Horses  that  Lower  the  Head  Against  the  Chest.  The 
horse  may  do  this  through  weakness,  or  lack  of  training  as  is 
often  the  case  v/ith  colts.  He  must  be  given  confidence  in  the 
hand  by  forward  movement  and  extension  of  the  neck.  If  the 
position  becomes  a  defense  the  snaffle  reins  must  be  used  to 
raise  the  head,  if  necessary  by  a  quick  sharp  action  from  be- 
low upward.  When  the  horse  has  raised  his  head  any  slow- 
ing of  the  gait  should  be  prevented  by  action  of  the  legs.  Re- 
quire but  little  improvement  at  the  beginning  and  as  soon  as 
the  horse  has  raised  his  head,  even  a  very  little,  and  yielded 
his  jaw,  ease  the  hand  and  pet  him.  This  defense  may  also  be 
combatted  by  the  gag  or  lifting  snaffle. 

Horses  that  Star  Gaze.  The  star  gazer  has  a  high,  nearly 
horizontal  head  and  a  stiff  jaw.  A  bad  conformation  often 
predisposes  him  to  this  fault  but  the  defective  position  general- 
ly results  from  the  horse  having  been  badly  ridden  so  that  he 
fears  the  hand.  To  correct  this  fault  fix  the  hand  on  the  pom- 
mel of  the  saddle,  the  reins  remaining  stretched,  close  the  legs 
to  push  him  up  to  the  bit,  and  keep  the  fingers  tightly  closed 
until  the  horse  lowers  his  head  a  little;  then  open  the  fingers 


—112— 

immediately  and  yield  to  him.  Repeat  this  lesson  until  the 
horse  yields  to  the  least  pressure  of  the  fingers  and  until  he 
understands  fully  that  the  hand  is  severe  only  when  he  carries 
his  head  up  and  that  it  relaxes  as  soon  as  he  places  his  head 
properly.  The  rules  laid  down  in  training  for  the  education  of 
the  horse  are  applicable. 

The  use  of  the  rearing  rein,  running  martingale,  and  Colbert 
reins  may  assist  in  this  case. 

Excitable  Horses  :  Horses  that  Jig.  Horses  jig  and  fret 
for  numerous  reasons.  Some  have  too  short  a  walk;  training 
should  remedy  this  fault.  Others  lack  impulsion  and  become 
sulky  at  the  pressure  of  the  legs;  they  must  be  taught  the 
lesson  of  the  spur  and  put  back  in  the  forward  movement. 
Still  others  fret  and  move  about  from  excessive  nervousness 
and  cannot  bear  the  pressure  of  the  rank ;  they  must  be  worked 
alone  for  a  long  time  under  a  steady  rider  until  they  have  be- 
come calm. 

Most  frequently  this  fault  occurs  because  the  horse  fears  the 
hand  and  does  not  dare  to  take  the  support  or  bearing  on  the 
bit  that  favors  a  free,  extended  gait;  in  this  case  the  rider 
whose  hand  is  too  hard  must  be  changed  for  a  more  tactful 
one,  and  the  horse  then  made  to  extend  his  neck  frequently  to 
give  him  confidence  in  the  hand  and  to  induce  him  to  carry 
more  of  his  weight  on  the  forehand.  When  these  first  results 
have  been  accomplished  one  should  extend  him  for  long  periods 
at  a  slow  trot  on  serpentines,  circles  and  figures  of  eight  in 
order  to  accustom  him  little  by  little  to  the  actions  of  the  aids. 

Horses  that  Pull.  To  correct  this  fault  place  the  horse  in 
the  walk  and  use  half  halts  on  one  rein.  When  the  horse  yields 
let  him  straighten  himself  and  take  the  original  gait.  Repeat 
this  same  lesson  at  first  at  the  slow  trot  and  then  at  the  ordin- 
ary trot.  The  stiff'ness  of  a  pulling  horse  is  thus  finally  broken 
by  forcing  him  to  bend  and  to  engage  his  hindquarters.  The 
slow  trot  on  circles,  serpenties  and  broken-lines  and  the  full 
halts  and  half  halts  constitute  excellent  gymnastics  for  the 
horse  that  is  heavy  in  the  forehand  and  heavy  on  the  hand. 
Pulley  reins  might  well  be  used  on  a  horse  of  this  sort. 


—113— 

Horses  that  Open  the  Jaw  or  Pass  the  Tongue  Over  the 
Bit.  For  the  former,  use  a  noseband  or  strap  tightly  buckled 
above  or  below  the  commissure  of  the  lips.  For  the  latter,  in 
addition  to  the  noseband  use  a  bit  with  a  tongue-loll  of  leather 
or  rubber.    The  tongue  may  also  be  tied  with  a  string. 

TABLE 

Showing  the  Successive  Phases  in  the  Education  of  the 

Young  Horse 


This  outline  is  made  up  for  average  horses :  it  sums  up  the 
methods  which  have  been  discussed  above.  It  is  not  to  be  fol- 
lowed absolutely;  the  requirements  may  be  varied  in  accord- 
ance with  the  means  at  hand,  climatic  influences,  the  kind  and 
quality  of  the  animals.  But  it  indicates,  nevertheless,  the 
normal  stages  in  the  training  of  the  troop  horse. 

OBJECTS 


BREAKING   (5  year  olds)    . 
TRAINING   (6  year  olds)    . 


f  Establishing  confidence. 

]  Preliminary  conditioning. 

1  Elementary  education  in  the  aids. 

f  Conditioning. 

^  Suppling  the  young  horse. 

[  Complete  obedience  to  the  aids. 


Breaking 


(4  Periods) 

1st  period:  October  1  to  December  31. 

2nd  period:  January  1  to  February  28. 

3rd  period:  March  1  to  August  14   (departure  for  maneuvers), 

4th  period:  August  15  to  September  30. 

1ST  PERIOD 


(October  1  to  December  31,  three  months.) 

f  Acclimatization. 

OBJECT   i  Gentling. 

[  Establishing  confidence. 


—114— 

I.    Acclimatization 
Horses  placed  under  observation. — -Installed  in  the  troop. — Care  on  ar- 
rival.— Hygiene. — Ventilation. — Rations    and    substitutions. — Endurance 
and  hardiness. 

II. — Gentling 
Assignment  of  the  same  horses  to  the  same  riders. — Choice  of  riders. — 
Familiarizing  the   colt  with   the   life   of  the  garrison    (noise,   watering, 
shoeing  shop,  etc.). 

III. — Establishing  Confidence 
Out  of  doors  and   riding  hall. — Proportions  in   which  they  should  be 
employed. 

Work  not  mounted.    Leading  by  the  side  of  old  horses  that  are  mounted. 
Work  on   the  longe.    Accustoming  to  the  equipment,  weight  of  rider, 
mounting  lesson.     Saber. 

Work  mounted.  Walks  out  of  doors.  Organization  of  sections.  Nature 
of  the  work.  Role  of  the  walk  in  the  strengthening  of  the  joints.  Ac- 
customing the  horse  to  objects  out  doors.  Influence  of  old  horses  as 
leaders. 

2ND  PERIOD 


(January  1  to  February  28,  two  months.) 

f  1.    Preliminary  conditioning. 
OBJECT:      Preliminary   pre-      |  2.    Elementary  education  in  the  aids, 
paration   for   use   in   case   of      {  3.    Preparing  the  young  horse  to  take 
posible  mobilization.  his  place  in  the  ranks  of  the  mobilized 

[ troop. 
I. — Prelim ina ry  Condition ing 
Digestion.    Gradually  accustoming  the  colt  to  assimilate  the  Govern- 
ment ration  (watching  the  droppings;  ynashes;  gruels;  carrots). 

Muscling.  Progressive  alternation  of  gaits.  Particular  influence  of 
each.     Usefulness  of  varied  ground. 

Organization  of  groups  and  re-division  of  work. 
Long  slow  work.     First  lessons  in  independence  and  freedom. 
Leading  over  small  obstacles;  the  horse  skillful  and  bold. 
Developing   the   lungs.    The   gallop;    when    and   how   to   commence    it. 
Considerations  which  govern  this  work.     Race,  blood,  ground.     Riding 
hall    or   straight    lines.      Progressively   developing   the    colt's    gallop    to 
1,500  to  2,000  yards  in  5  to  6  minutes. 
Appearance  of  the  horse  under  work. 

II. — Elementary  Education  in  the  Aids  * 

*  NOTE :  The  simultaneous  action  of  both  legs  and  both  hands  may  be 
taken  up  out  of  doors  with  the  conditioning.  The  action  of  the  reins 
provoking  changes  of  direction  is  taken  up  in  the  riding  hall  on  days 
when  bad  weather  prevents  going  out. 


—115— 


(a) 


(b) 


Simultaneous  action  of 

both  legs   

(horse  moving  forward) 

action  of 


I"  Passing  from  walk  to  trot. 

both  legs    -j  Passing  from  halt  to  walk. 

Passing  from  halt  to  trot. 
Extending  the  walk  and  trot. 
Passing  from  trot  to  walk. 
Passing  from  walk  to  halt. 
Passing  from  trot  to  halt. 
Showing  the  trot  and  walk. 


Simultaneous 

both  reins    

(Principle    of   the 
always  stretched) 


(c) 
(d) 


Combined  action  of  both 
legs  with  one  or  the  other 
rein. 


Changing   hands. 

Broken  line. 
Turns, 
Abouts, 
Half  turn, 
Turn  in  reverse 
On  circle. 


[Opening   rein 
Action  of  the  single  rein  . .  -j 

[  Bearing  rein 
Opening  rein 
and  both  legs. 
■  Bearing  rein 
and  both 
legs. 
Take  gallop  by  breaking  equilibrium. 

III. — Preparing  the  Young  Horse  to  Take  His  Place  in  the  Ranks 
of  the  Mobilized  Troop 
Making  him  familiar  with:     arms  and  their  handling,  standing  still 
and  marching,  the  pack,  the  bridle,  the  trooper's  equipment,  firing. 

During  work  out  of  doors:     some  marches  in  column,  in  line,  deploy- 
ment, movements  by  the  flank,  to  the  rear. 

3RD  PERIOD 


(March  1  to  maneuvers,  5%  months.) 

{Further  conditioning. 
More  marked  obedience  to  aids. 
I, — Further  Conditioning 

Increase  the  outdoor  work  according  to  the  condition  and  temperament 
of  the  horse  (1%  to  2  hours). 

Continue  the  training  at  the  gallop  to  attain  at  the  end  of  the  period 
3,000  yards  in  7  to  8  minutes. 

Lessons  in  developing  self  confidence  out  of  doors.  Confirming  quiet- 
ness and  self  reliance. 

Obstacles.  Lessons  on  the  longe  and  at  liberty;  skill  over  varied 
ground;  crossing  small  natural  objects  mounted,  such  as  logs,  ditches, 
banks,  sides  of  the  road,  etc. 

Hygiene.  Period  of  shedding  (March-April).  Observation  of  hygiene 
and  feeding.     Modification  of  work. 

Period  of  feeding  grass.  The  horse  should  be  rather  fat.  Increase 
the  grain.     Cut  down  work  outside. 

Appearance  of  horse  in  condition.    Eye  skin,  muscles,  flank,  legs. 
II. — More  Marked  Obedience  to  Aids 

Same  riding-hall  work  as  during  the  second  period;  in  snaffle  at  first, 
in  double  bridle  during  the  last  month. 


—116— 

IN  ADDITION: 

1.  Confirm  the  forward  movement.     First  search  for  balance  by  in- 
creasing and  decreasing  the  gaits  on  straight  lines. 

2.  Mobilizing  the  haunches      f  Passing  corners, 
(effects  of  one  leg  alone)  \  Serpentines. 

I  Half  turns  in  reverse  on  the  forehand, 
(  etc. 

3.  Mobilizing  the  shoulders      f  Passing  corners. 
(action   of   the    bedring      i  Serpentines. 

rein)     , [  Half  turns  on  the  haunches. 

4.  Extending  and  redressing  the  neck. 

5.  Gallop  departs  on  straight  lines  by  lateral  aids. 

4TH  PERIOD 


(August  15  to  September  30,  l^/^  months.) 
PiaiiOD    OF    Rest.    Leading;    large    substitutions    for    grain    rations. 
Mashes,  purges.     Fatten  the  horses. 

Training 
(4  Periods) 
1st  Period;     October  1  to  November  30. 
2nd  Period:     December  1  to  May  31. 
3rd  Period:     June  1  to  August  14   (maneuvers). 
4th  Period:     August  15  to  September  30. 

1ST  PERIOD 
(October  1  to  November  30,  2  months.) 


f  1.    Putting  the  horse  back  in  work. 

^2.    -   ■  ■ 


OBJECTS    ^2.    Bringing  him  again  under  the  ef- 

[       feet  of  the  aids. 

I. — Taking  np  Work 
New  assignment  of  horses  to  officers,   noncommissioned   officers,  and 
selected  men. 

OUT  OF  DOORS.    Man  and  horse  become  accustomed  to  each  other. 
Taking  up  work  gradually.     Retarding  influences. 
Lessons  on  the  longe  and  mounting  lessons  by  new  riders. 
.,  Jumping  on  the  longe  and  at  liberty.     Fixed  obstacles  for  the  young 
horses. 

Horse  quiet  and  bold  when  alone. 

II. — Obedience  to  the  Aids 
RIDING  HALL.    Gradual  repetition,  at  first  in  snaffle,  then  in  double 
bridle,  of  work  of  the  preceding  year.    Putting  the  horse  in  the  forward 
movement.     Increasing  and  decreasing  gaits  on  straight  lines,  circles, 
and  changes  of  direction. 


—117— 
2ND  PERIOD 

(December  1  to  May  31,  6  months.) 

fl.    Conditioning. 

OBJECTS     •12.    Suppling-  and  complete  obedience  to 

[        aids. 

I. — Condition  ing 

OUT  OP  DOORS.    Long  periods  of  IV2  to  2  hours. 

Increase  the  requirements  gradually  while  taking  notice  of  period  of 
shedding  and  green  food   (as  in  breaking). 

Attain  3,300  yards  at  gallop  in  8  minutes,  at  end  of  period. 

Work  on  broken  ground. 

Passing  natural  obstacles,  horses  mounted. 

Advance  as  far  as  possible  the  development  of  self  reliance,  quietness 
and  boldness.  Leave  the  column  and  go  in  opposite  direction  at  the 
walk,  trot  or  gallop,  the  troop  being  in  march  or  halted. 

Mounting  lesson  out  of  doors. 

II. — Suppling  and  Complete  Obedience  to  Aids 

RIDING  HALL.  Short  sessions  (three-fourths  hour  at  most)  with 
a  definite  object. 

Impulsion.    The  action  of  the  spur. 

Double  bridle.  Choice  of  bits.  Accustoming  the  horse  to  the  bit.  Pro- 
gression to  follow.    Various  means  of  holding  reins  in  training. 

Repetition  with  double  bridle  of  work  in  snaffle.  Study  of  reins  of 
opposition. 

Mobility  mid  engagement  of  hind  quarters.  Increasing  and  decreasing 
gaits,  starts,  halts,  backing,  half  turns  in  reverse,  half  turns  on  shoulders, 
serpentines,  and  circles  with  haunches  inside  and  outside.     False  gallop. 

Suppleness  and  freedom  of  shoulders.  Half  turns.  Half  turns  on  the 
haunches.  Serpentines  and  circles,  the  shoulders  pivoting  about  the 
haunches  (action  of  indii-ect  reins),  shoulder  in. 

Mobility  of  the  jaw:  Suppling,  position  of  the  head  and  neck  favorable 
to  training.     The  gather. 

APPLICATION: 

Balance.  Work  on  long  and  short  bases. 

To  change  gait,  and  to  change  speed  at  a  given  gait. 

Halt,  half  halt,  and  backing. 

Gallop  departs  from  the  walk,  trot,  halt  and  backing  with  the  horse 
remaining  straight. 


—118— 

To  maintain  a  given  gait  and  in  this  gait  a  given  speed. 

Regulation  gaits;  work  over  long  distances. 

Change  of  direction:    The  turn. 

Obedience  to  aids  in  the  rank,  out  of  doors,  in  the  riding  enclosure. 

The  horse  bold,  calm,  straight,  and  light. 

Riding  with  one  hand. 

3RD  PERIOD 


(June  1  to  maneuvers).   (2^/^  months) 


[  1.    Conditioning. 
■12.     -      -      ■ 


OBJECTS     ■{2.    Confirming  obedience  to  aids. 

I  3.    Application  of  acquired   results  to 
[        military  work. 

I . — Conditioning 

Take  up  gradually  the  work  which  was  cut  down  during  the  period  of 
green  food.  Prepare  the  horses  to  maintain  the  gallop  for  3,000  to  3,500 
yards  in  10  to  12  minutes.  Execute  several  road  marches  (20  to  25  miles 
in  four  hours).  Exercises  on  the  track  in  preparation  for  charge.  Ex- 
tended gallop  of  500  to  600  yards. 

II. — Confirming  Obedience  to  the  Aids 

Same  work  as  in  the  second  period.  Pass  from  work  in  the  riding 
enclosure  out  of  doors  to  work  of  section  together  in  riding  hall,  cadenc- 
ing  and  balancing  the  horses.  Half  turn  on  haunches,  on  forehand,  on 
center  of  gravity.  Riding  with  one  hand  at  all  gaits  and  in  all  directions. 
Work  at  will. 

III. — Application  of  Acquired  Results  to  Military  Work 

The  work  in  the  riding  enclosure  leads  to  the  school  of  the  group 
(single  rank,  double  rank,  ranks  open  and  closed). 

Work  with  Arms.  Use  of  arms  mounted.  Work  with  dummies.  Pre- 
paration for  individual  combat.     Pursuit. 

Individual  missions.  Messengers,  flankers,  patrols.  Quiet  to  noise  and 
firing. 

SWIMMING. 

HARNESS. 

JUMPING  IN  TROOP. 

4TH  PERIOD 


(August  15  to  September  30.) 
Rest.    Same  prescriptions  as  at  end  of  breaking. 
Proving  the  Results 
Principal  Poirits  on  Which  hispections  Should  Bear 
(a)     Breaking:     General  state  of  horses,  conditions,  legs: 


—119— 

Riding  Hall 
Quiet,  regular,  swinging  gaits. 
Obedience  to  aids  in  simple  movements. 
Quiet  to  mount. 
Trial  at  the  gallop  (out  of  doors  if  the  ground  permits). 

Out  of  Doors 
Free,  quiet  gaits,  individually  and  in  troop. 
Passing  small  obstacles  in  hand  and  mounted. 
Handling  arms. 
Quiet  to  firing, 
(b)     Training:     General  state  of  horses,  condition,  legs. 

Riding  Hall 
Quiet,  regular,  swinging  gaits. 
Individual    examination,    proving    obedience    in    aids    in    collected 

movements. 
Work  of  section  together. 

Trial  at  the  Gallop 
(In  riding  hall  if  terrain  outside  does  not  permit.) 
Out  of  Doors 
Individual  work. 

The  horse  calm  and  straight  in  execution  of  all  individual  missions, 
(scout,  flanker,  courier). 

JUMPING. 

Work  in  troop.    Use  of  arms.     Proof  of  condition.  (March  averaging 
15  to  20  miles). 

Approved 
Paris,  January  9,  1912.  Messimy,  Secretary  of  War. 


Q    M.  C.  Plant,  Ft.  Riley,  Kan.,  4-11-31 — 2000 


\-y.y-      ■;•  II 


